M. Tennis | Inside track to victory

Given time to rest during the doubles matches, men's tennis captain Jonathan Boym enjoyed himself yesterday.

"I thought it worked out pretty well," the senior No. 2 said. "I got to watch my teammates play - that was fun - and just warmed up before the singles and went out ready to go."

Coupled with a Saint Joseph's team that didn't provide much of a challenge on the court, it was an easy day at the office for Boym and his teammates. Penn cruised to a 6-1 victory over the Hawks, which included a doubles point win (2-1) for the first time in six matches.

No. 3 junior Adam Schwartz and No. 4 freshman Phil Law also sat out - though the entire match, not just the doubles matches - to give backups Dmitry Bury and Zach Gorn a chance to add some valuable depth to the team.

"If one of our guys goes down and he's out for a couple weeks come Ivy League season," coach Nik DeVore explained, "some of the other guys need some match experience."

The sophomores took full advantage of the opportunities, giving the Quakers a hard-fought 8-6 win at the No. 3 doubles spot. Though juniors Justen Roth and Alex Vasin continued to shine at No. 2 - winning their third straight match, 8-1 - No. 1 pair Hicham Laalej and Jason Lin struggled despite winning 8-6 against the Hawks, whose record fell to 3-4.

"I think part of the problem was the team [of Laalej and Lin] was really not pumped up and into the match," DeVore said. "Our guys had a hard time really getting themselves motivated."

Motivation may have been hard to come by because the competition wasn't exactly riveting. Penn won four of its five singles matches in straight sets. No. 4 Jason Lin was the only one who couldn't seal the deal in straight sets, but he came back from a second-set loss in a tiebreaker to dominate the Hawks' Jason Kessler, 10-1, in the third set.

The Quakers' only loss on the day came at No. 6 singles. St. Joe's freshman Peter Cognetti gave his team its only bright spot on the day with a 6-2, 3-6, 10-7 win over Jeffrey Karsh.

Having conquered all four home opponents this season in the friendly indoor confines of the Levy Pavilion - the Quakers have only conceded two of a possible 28 team points at home - the Red and Blue (5-4) are now prepared to face an additional foe on their spring break road trip to California: the elements.

After all, the Quakers just played what could be their last indoor match of the season, barring inclement weather conditions. DeVore understands that his team needs to be ready for an adjustment.

"It's a little bit slower outside," the second-year coach said. "Without the wind [and] without the elements, inside you can really focus on the ball better. You don't have to worry about anything; you're kind of spoiled."

With his team well-rested and healthy, Boym has high hopes for Penn's first outdoor task in California.

"Hopefully we can pull out four wins in a row," the captain said. "If everyone's playing well [and] if everyone's focused, we have a good chance of doing that."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.