M. Tennis fails pivotal Ivy test

(Penn - 2, Harvard - 5) (Penn - 3, Dartmouth - 4)

Last weekend was a blown opportunity that the Penn men's tennis team would like to have back.

With road matches against Ivy foes Harvard and Dartmouth, the No. 71 Quakers (11-10 overall, 1-4 Ivy League) saw last weekend as a chance to solidify their recently nationally-recognized reputation.

Two losses didn't exactly do the trick.

Penn fell to No. 29 Harvard (12-4, 4-0), 5-2, on Friday, before being edged by Dartmouth, 4-3, on Saturday.

"It's really disappointing because we had a great shot to win both of the matches, but we just came up short," Penn freshman David Lynn said.

On a windy day in Boston, the Quakers did not get off to a strong start in their first match of the weekend. Penn lost two of three doubles matches and the doubles point, as only freshmen tandem Craig Rubin and Anthony Pu could win a match, 9-8.

Rubin and Pu "are playing really well," Penn senior Fanda Stejskal said. "They're going to be really good in the future."

Stejskal was one of two Quakers who were able to win a singles' match in Boston. He finishes his career 3-0 against Harvard.

"They're our biggest rivals," Stejskal said. "I'm always motivated for that match."

Stejskal's joy was mitigated by the fact that his singles' victory came in a Penn defeat.

"I'm glad I won but sad the team didn't."

Freshman Todd Lecher claimed the Quaker' other singles' win, beating George Turner, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 6, in one of his best performances of the year.

"They're really good," Stejskal said of Harvard. "We held our own and didn't hand them a win; it was as close as we got since I've been here. It felt good to scare them."

And despite the fact the Quakers were the favorites against Dartmouth, Penn again came up on the short end.

As Penn did in the match with Harvard, the Quakers dealt themselves an early hole by losing the doubles' point. Again, Rubin and Pu formed the Red and Blue's only triumphant doubles' team.

"It's a huge momentum swing," Lynn said. "It is really tough to win four of the six singles' matches in order to win.

"It makes it very difficult to win."

Stejskal and Lynn won at the first two courts and Brian Barki won at No. 4.

But Penn lost at both No. 5 and 6. Rubin was slated to play at No. 6, but rolled his ankle in the doubles win and was not able to play in singles.

The stage was set for a pivotal duel at the No. 3 singles spot. This marked the third time in five matches -- Harvard and Brown being the exceptions -- that a Penn Ivy matchup would be decided on the final singles court.

Against Princeton two weeks ago, it was freshman Lynn who was in the spotlight. Last week against Yale, it was Stejskal. And on Saturday it was junior co-captain Ryan Harwood.

Harwood, searching for his first win on an uncharacteristically bad weekend, started off well, winning the first set, 6-2, in impressive fashion.

But Harwood dropped the last two sets 6-4, 7-5, in what was by far the most exciting and electric match of the day.

"It was a very competitive day," Stejskal said. "It was an even match, but they played very well."

Despite the underwhelming weekend, the Quakers will have the chance to prove their worthiness when they travel to Cornell and Harvard this weekend.

"We have a few more matches left to prove that we are as good as we know we can be," Stejskal said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.