M. tennis competes at Brown as ECACs loom

For both the men's and women's tennis teams, the real season starts in the spring, when Ivy League competition heats up and matches become intense battles of team versus team. But that isn't to say that the teams' fall tournaments aren't important.

"[The fall matches] act as warm up; they're kind of like a pre-season," sophomore Darius Craton said. "They're really just to get experience."

With the seasons young, and several members of last year's teams gone due to graduation, the teams, though talented and deep, need all the experience they can get in preparation for their intense spring seasons.

After hosting the Farnsworth Invitational a week ago, the men's team traveled to Providence, RI, to compete in the Brown Invitational this past weekend. Meanwhile, the women's team stayed closer to home, with several players competing in the Princeton Invitational and a handful of others playing at the Cissie Leary Invitational at Penn.

The men's team brought 10 of its 12 players to Brown. Two of the team's top players — senior Dan Friedman and junior Josh Burman — stayed in Princeton, nursing injuries.

With a field of close to 160 players, the Brown Invitational was organized into nine singles draws and three doubles draws. The Tigers had two players in the tournament's top flight and two in the No. 2 flight, with draws based on players' rankings and records.

Craton, who won the "A" consolation singles bracket at the Farnsworth Invitational on Sept. 21, lost in the quarterfinals to Zack Pasanen of Brown, a finalist in the first draw of the tournament. Sophomore Andrew Lieu also lost in the quartefinals, falling to the eventual winner of the first draw, Reed Hagmann.

In the second draw, sophomore Hans Plukas lost in the semifinals to Ben Brier of Brown, while junior David Gopstein fell in the quarterfinals. Senior Tim Kofol, who has battled injuries in recent years, teamed up with freshman Ted Mabrey and reached the finals of the doubles bracket in the No. 2 draw.

Freshman Sratha Saengsuwarn, the team's top frosh recruit, and sophomore Shannon Morales won the third doubles draw.

The early-season results showed promise as the team prepares this week for next weekend's Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships.

'Dedicated'

"I think the team dynamics are good. We have a good set of guys who are dedicated," Craton said. "But playing eight matches in three days takes a toll on your body. We're trying to stay healthy."

Keeping their games in shape while maintaining their health will be the keys for the Tigers this fall season.

After the cancellation of its first fall tournament due to Hurricane Isabel, the women's tennis team took to the courts this weekend for its first fall showing, with players competing at two different venues.

Four women travelled to the Cissie Leary Invitational at Penn, where the Tigers matched up against a formidable collection of opponents — Penn, Harvard, Northwestern, Tulane, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Old Dominion.

Junior Stephanie Berg and sophomore Alison Hashmall both reached the third round of the main singles draw, with Berg losing to Tulane's Julie Srekodub, who won the tournament.

At the Princeton Invitational, Columbia's Christine Kim won the A1 singles flight, beating teammate Melissa Nguyen in the finals. Earlier in the tourney, Kim beat Tiger freshman Laura Trimble.

In the A2 singles flight, Alina Balasa of Rutgers defeated Princeton senior Mateya McCoy, 6-1, 6-2.

Freshman Joanna Roth won the B1 singles flight, recovering from a 6-1 loss in the first set to take the next two sets, 7-5 and 6-1. Senior Vanti Bhargava lost in the finals of the B2 singles flight.

Princeton's "A" doubles team consisting of Bhargava and senior Alex Kobishyn won the title in their bracket.