Tomorrow, for at least one reason, the Penn men's tennis team is hoping that this year isn't like the last.
In their 2008 Ivy opener, the Quakers fell, 5-2, to Princeton at home in a contest that coach Nik DeVore called "a bitter, bitter one."
The Quakers will have a chance for revenge this year when they open their 2009 Ivy League slate with a 2 p.m. showdown at Princeton tomorrow.
Princeton (8-6) will step onto the court with a three-game winning streak that has been recognized throughout the country - Tuesday the International Tennis Association named the Tigers the No. 73 team in the country.
In their most recent match - a 7-0 sweep of UC-Irvine Saturday - the Tigers won all of their doubles matches. The squad is led by senior Peter Capkovic, who has played among the top twenty players in the world, and senior Alex Vuckovic, Capkovic's partner at No. 1 doubles.
Penn, though, has reasons to think it can compete with and even beat the Tigers.
The Quakers have the same 8-6 record as the Tigers, and they will be taking the confidence of Tuesday's 6-1 home victory over UC-Riverside with them to New Jersey.
Furthermore, The Red and Blue, who have a perfect record at home, will face a team that does not have the same ability to defend its territory - Princeton has lost its last two matches at home.
Fortunately for the Quakers, it is likely that senior captain Jonathan Boym, who has missed the last five games with complications from a shoulder injury, will be able to play tomorrow, given his performance in practice this week.
But in his absence the team has shown that it is not a one-man show. Boym's injury has allowed other Penn players to step up and show their strengths.
The Quakers swept UC-Riverside in singles Tuesday, getting wins from upperclassmen as well as freshmen. Juniors Hicham Laalej and Adam Schwartz have been particularly successful in recent matches.
DeVore said that No. 2 Schwartz is "coming into his own and showing a lot of leadership this year."
Asked what advantages Penn has over Princeton, Schwartz's first thought was Penn's character.
"I think we have more heart than them," he said. "I think the team is really coming together."
That "heart," the Quakers say, is the key to erasing the bad taste from their mouths that has been lingering since last year's conference opener.
"Princeton plays with a lot of heart as well, but when it comes right down to it, it's who wants it the most and who will fight for it," DeVore said. "Maybe you don't have your A-game, but if you fight and believe in yourself, support your teammates, it goes a long, long way."
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