Last weekend, the Penn men's tennis team bounced back after a disappointing loss to Penn State to trounce its next two opponents, improving its season record to 9-3. The Red and Blue hope to continue their momentum this weekend when they face their toughest challenge so far. Today Penn travels to Annapolis, Md., to battle the Midshipmen of Navy. Penn is the clear favorite in this matchup, but the poor court conditions and huge pro-Navy crowd could be to the Midshipmen's advantage. "Of course, Navy's more used to those terrible courts and the crowd support will definitely be a factor," co-captain Neil Aaronson said. "But we're strong favorites and we should win." Tomorrow Penn faces Princeton to start off the Ivy League season. Both teams are battling for the top spot in the Ivy League as well as a berth in the NCAAs, so the contest could be one of the most important of the year. So far, the Tigers have had a great season, with wins over Texas Tech and Miami. The Hurricanes were ranked No. 9 nationally when Princeton beat them. Like Penn, Princeton is a strong team whose greatest strength is depth. In the recent past, the Tigers have dominated the series. No current Penn player has been on a team that has defeated Princeton, and this year could be the breakthrough. The Quakers have already faced Princeton players individually over the course of the year, winning more than half of the matches. Especially significant is freshman Marc Fisicaro's win over Gog Boonswang, Princeton's second seed, earlier this year. "We know we're in for a tough fight," Aaronson said. "The outcome of every match is going to depend on who comes up with the big shots." Although Princeton is the slight favorite, Penn coach Gene Miller is confident his team will pull off the upset. "I feel the guys are peaking now. They're hitting the balls better than I've seen all season," Miller said. "We could and should surprise them."
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.