M. Tennis | Who says losing's a bad thing?

Men's tennis coach Nik DeVore likes winning - but he sees an advantage to losing, too.

"Losing matches is not such a bad thing because then we get to play consolation games," DeVore said.

Consolation matches, and the experience that comes with them, should not be hard to come by for the Quakers today at the Columbia Invitational in New York.

With opponents like Penn State, St. John's, Southern Methodist and Ivy-League rivals Columbia and Harvard entered in the tournament, the Red and Blue will have their work cut out for them.

According to DeVore, "word on the street" is that Columbia has the best team they have had in years. With senior Bogdan Borta, a transfer from Manahttan College, and junior Mihail Nichifor on its roster, the rumors may prove true.

"Harvard has the most storied program in our conference," DeVore added. "Year in and year out they are always going to be the team to beat in our league."

DeVore's players are only entered in about four doubles and singles tournaments this fall, with the primary goals of experience, strength and conditioning in mind.

Taking the court for the Quakers in singles this weekend are Phil Law, Jason Lin, Dmitry Bury, Alex Vasin, Adam Schwartz and Justen Roth. The doubles teams will be Vasin/Schwartz, Law/Bury, and Lin/Roth.

The Quakers will be without their No. 1 singles player, junior Hicham Laalej, who lost to Columbia's Nichifor 6-4, 6-4, at Princeton last weekend. Laalej is currently playing as the 81st seed in the ITA All American tournament in Tulsa, Ariz., where he recently upset the 31st seed Andres Carrasco of Arizona.

"Confidence is at an all-time high," DeVore says, "The team is sort of coming together."

And with the ITA Northeast Regional Tournament approaching next Thursday, the timing could not be better for the Quakers. Using the upcoming tournament in Columbia as "tune-up", the Quakers are hoping to gain more experience - and if that means losing a bit, so be it.

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