For the Penn men's tennis team, relief is coming at the right time.
After spending the better part of its season with a rash of injuries, the team looks to return to full strength tomorrow when it faces No. 64 Princeton (8-5) at Lott Courts in both teams' Ivy opener. Starters Eric Riley and Justin Fox came back last week, and Jonathan Boym - a No. 2 when healthy - is slated to return for tomorrow's match.
It seems the Quakers have weathered the worst of it. While the depleted roster was a large part of the six-game skid the team suffered through much of March, the team remained scrappy against competition that is better than the cream of the Ivy crop.
Now, on a new two-match winning streak, the Quakers will try to carry that momentum over to the matches that matter most - Ivy matches.
With the recent wins, the team's poise has strengthened.
"Our attitude and confidence are much better right now going into the Ivies," said starter Jo Lok. "Picking up the last two victories against Navy and a very tough St. John's [team] without our full lineup has boosted our morale."
Still, the Tigers are no house cats. Princeton's non-conference schedule, similar to Penn's, featured a formidable combination of ranked powerhouses and unranked threats. In the signature victory of their season, the Tigers upended No. 42 Clemson in South Carolina.
At the top of the Tigers' lineup is one of the most dangerous players Penn will face this season, junior Peter Capkovic. The Slovakian plays both singles and doubles, and will challenge Penn on both fronts. He began the year ranked 100 nationally, and though he is no longer ranked, he has not lost a step. Against Clemson's No. 1, Capkovic dropped only two games as he claimed the win.
However, Quaker senior captain Jason Pinsky is unimpressed.
"All of [our] matches are highly contested and great battles," Pinsky said. "He got the better of me the last time we played, but I feel that my better is better than his better right now."
As always though, the key for the Quakers lies in doubles. The entire season, Coach Nik DeVore has stressed the importance of reliable doubles performances and getting out to a solid start in matches.
Against the Tigers, Penn needs to remain especially vigilant, as Princeton's first doubles team of Alex Krueger-Wyman and George Carpeni began the season ranked No. 37 in the nation. While they have since become unranked, they remain dangerous. Last week against No. 15 Pepperdine, the duo fiercely fought the Waves' 23-ranked pair before falling 9-8 in a match with four tiebreakers.
From the moment the first serve is taken at Lott Courts tomorrow, the Quakers will have to battle for every point in the competitive Ivies.
But with two recent wins and a healthy squad, they look ready for the challenge.
