M. Tennis: Penn ready to defend home courts

The Penn men's tennis team has high hopes for this weekend's Penn Classic for several reasons. After a disappointing run at the ITA Regional Championships, Penn could get a boost by closing out the fall season with a win at home. The tournament will be held on Lott Tennis Courts or Levy Tennis Pavilion, depending on the weather.

The Quakers had mixed results at the Princeton Invitational and ITA Regionals but were pleased with their performance in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Championships, Oct. 6-7, where they finished tied for fifth.

"We've been up and down this fall," coach Mark Riley said. "Our focus over the offseason is going to be consistency."

These tournaments are individual competitions, while in the spring, the Quakers compete as a team for the Ivy League title.

"We've got a very good chance of being up there with the top teams in the league," sophomore Jimmy Fairbanks said. "We aren't quite there yet but we're moving in the right direction."

The format of the Penn Classic features "A" and "B" flights of individual singles and doubles competition. Twelve teams, including Ivy rivals Columbia and Cornell, have been invited. The addition of the losers bracket of the singles competition guarantees each player at least two matches.

Junior co-captain David Lynn continues to struggle with an ankle injury he sustained at the Princeton Invitational in mid-September. Although playing through the pain, Lynn is not at full strength.

Nevertheless, spirits are high for this weekend, particularly with the knowledge that the Quakers will be competing on their home courts.

"We want to finish on a high note; we've picked it up a little bit," Fairbanks said.

This is a final chance for Riley to evaluate players for the spring season.

He is "just going to sit back and see who steps up," Riley said.

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