With next weekend's Intercollegiate Tennis Association regional championships already on the its minds, this weekend the Penn men's tennis team will host the Penn Classic.
While for freshmen this represents the first opportunity to play in front of a home crowd, for some of Penn's top players this may be a tune-up for next weekend's tourney.
"We have to take it one week at a time," Penn senior captain Brian Barki said, adding that this weekend's tournament will be good preparation for the ITAs.
Regardless of the tune-up status of this week, playing in front of the home crowd has excited the team.
Penn captain Ryan Harwood feels that there are "a lot of people anxious," for this first home match of the season.
Joining the Quakers in the tournament will be local rivals Temple and St. Joseph's, as well as Harvard, Princeton and Penn State.
The tournament will be held at the Robert P. Levy Tennis Pavilion from Friday through Sunday.
There will be A and B team draws in singles with one six-team doubles draw.
The Quakers are confident and believe that they can win the tournament.
"Five [of our players] are capable of winning," Harwood said. "It depends who will step up."
Next weekend's ITAs will mark the third consecutive weekend that Penn will play, but Harwood doesn't feel fatigue will be an issue.
"I think [playing consecutive matches] will keep your mind in match mode," he said.
The Quakers are coming off of a fifth-place finish in last week's ECAC championships at Harvard. This weekend's Penn Classic is their third tournament of the season.
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.