M. tennis splits matches vs. Harvard, Dartmouth

The men's tennis team competed against the best and the worst of the Ivy League this weekend when Harvard (11-8 overall, 5-0 Ivy League) and Dartmouth (8-11, 0-5) came to town.

On the brink of avenging last year's 6-1 loss to the Crimson, the Tigers (14-9, 3-3) fell just short by a score of 4-3. However, the loss to Harvard was not a fatal blow, and the Tigers rebounded with a 7-0 shutout against league cellar-dweller Dartmouth on Saturday.

The Tigers shined yet again in doubles, winning two of the three pro-sets to open the match against Harvard with a leg-up. The No. 1 pairing of junior Daniel Friedman and freshman Darius Craton earned a point with an 8-6 victory, and has consistently secured wins that may earn the duo the opportunity to compete in the NCAA doubles tournament.

In singles, the Crimson edged past the Tigers' single-point doubles triumph with two quick wins at Nos. 1 and 4. But Princeton countered with subsequent wins at Nos. 3 and 6 to lead, 3-2. Of the two matches that remained on court, only one was needed to bring home the bacon.

At No. 2, Craton was down 5-2 in the third set but fought back to tie up the score 5-5, boosting his teammates' hopes. However, when he was unable to capitalize on two breakpoint chances, Craton lost the next game and then his opponent broke him to close out the match, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

At No. 5, freshman Hans Plukas also battled it out to the end but lost 7-6, 6-4.

"He hung in there," coach Glen Michibata said. "It literally came down to the last few points."

The result actually came down to the last point, as Harvard squeaked by with a 4-3 win. However, the absence of sophomore Josh Burman, formerly No. 2 singles, placed a heavy burden on Princeton's entire lineup. Burman's absence will force everyone below senior No. 1 Trevor Smith to play up a position for the remainder of the season.

Last week the Tigers took a similar blow against Brown, barely losing, 4-3, and falling at No. 2 singles in straight sets. But Michibata expressed confidence in his players at their present positions against Harvard.

"Everyone really stepped up," Michibata said. "We'd like to think we'd have a better chance with Josh playing, but who knows what the match-ups [against different opponents] would have been like, since after all, tennis is a lot about the match-ups."

Ranked No. 43 nationally according to College Tennis Online, Harvard has yet to challenge No. 41 Penn for the Ivy League title.

Still in contention for third place in the league, Princeton showed no mercy against Dartmouth the following day. The Tigers razed the Big Green, 7-0, to earn another win in Ivy League competition.

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In their last home match of the season, the Tigers again won the doubles point, this time with victories at Nos. 2 and 3.

In singles, Dartmouth did not stand a chance. The Big Green took a beating on every court, as Princeton won six straight-set victories to sweep, 7-0.

At No. 6, sophomore David Gopstein has made a strong showing with a 3-1 record in Ivy League play, despite a late start for the season. After injuries in January that held him out of non-league competition, he began league singles play against Harvard Friday, when Burman's leave created an open spot.

"Especially with his game style, which is an attacking style, it takes a lot to get your game back," Michibata said. "But he's made a tremendous stride."

A win over Dartmouth, however, served mainly to boost the Tigers' confidence rather than their league standing. The Big Green has been stomped on by all of its Ivy opponents, including Columbia, whom Princeton crushed, 7-0.

One team that Dartmouth came close to defeating was Cornell. The Big Red just squeaked by the Ivy League doormat by a score of 4-3, which bodes well for the Tigers in their matchup with Cornell next weekend.