The spring snow and rain drove the men's and women's tennis teams back into Jadwin Gym, where each dominated in their respective matches this weekend.
In a season filled with injuries, this weekend's matches marked the first time that the women's tennis team engaged its full-strength singles lineup since the fall.
The Tigers showcased their skills with three straight home victories for the week, which included two 7-0 shutouts against Temple (3-5) and George Washington (0-5).
The Tigers began their winning streak last Wednesday against Rutgers, beating the Scarlet Knights, 5-2, and continued to plow through George Washington on Saturday.
Head coach Louise Gengler expressed much satisfaction over the team's performance, particularly in doubles, where Princeton has shown much improvement. The Tigers won all three matches this weekend, 8-3, 8-4, and 8-2.
Princeton wasted no unnecessary energy in singles, winning each match in straight sets by large margins. Senior captain Kavitha Krishnamurthy was the most efficient of her teammates in her 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 1.
The Tigers came back strong Sunday to sweep yet again, not showing any signs of fatigue from the previous day's play. However, their 7-0 victory over Temple was not as sweet. The Owls brought only six players, three of whom defaulted in singles. One got physically ill and the others were injured.
Nevertheless, Princeton shone with big wins in doubles and singles. Freshmen Neha Uberoi and Jessica Siebel won, 8-0, and juniors Avantika Bhargava and Mateya McCoy won, 8-1, at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles, respectively. Freshman Jessica Siebel delivered outstanding play with a shutout at No. 5 singles, 6-0, 6-0.
Freshman Allison Hashmall won her first set 6-0 before her opponent retired because of injury. Uberoi and junior Jacqui Arcario received free points with defaults.
Only Krishnamurthy seemed to be challenged at No. 1 singles, where her opponent took her to a first set tiebreaker. But Krish-namurthy mimicked her teammates' swift victories in her second set to end the match, 7-6(4), 6-0.
'Tuneup'
Gengler said she has been cautious with her injured players in order to be in top shape for Ivy League competition. "This weekend is a real tuneup for us. We're facing a tough Ivy season, but I feel ready for it," she said.
The week's wins boosted the Tigers' overall record to 7-4 and supplied momentum for Friday's match against Columbia and the start of Ivy League play.
While the women's team breezed flawlessly through two weekend matches, the men's team (9-5) found itself in a tougher battle during its sole match against Rutgers (2-8).
The Tigers' 4-3 win over the Scarlet Knights was nowhere near as tight as it seems, however. After winning the doubles point, the Tigers dominated at Nos. 1, 3, and 4 singles, where senior captain Trevor Smith, junior Daniel Friedman, and freshman Darius Craton won handily to seize team victory at 4-0.
Craton, in particular, struck down his opponent with a 6-1, 6-0 win. Friedman brought home the bacon with the deciding win, 6-2, 6-4.
Essentially, the first four matches were a breeze, but the remaining ones were a battle. Rutgers wasn't about to go home empty-handed.
The Scarlet Knights tested Princeton's underclassmen — sophomore Joshua Burman, and freshmen Plukas and Lieu — and emerged with wins at Nos. 2, 5, and 6, respectively. Burman and Lieu went down in three sets.
In doubles, Princeton captured wins at Nos. 2 and 3, but lost decisively at No. 1, 8-2. The teams were relatively new and impermanent pairings.
"We are [still] trying to tie down three solid doubles teams that we will use for the Ivies," Smith said.
Though a 4-3 win over Rutgers may not seem very encouraging, another day will bring a new situation.
"All in all [Rutgers] was a good match to prepare us for the Ivy season," Smith said.
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