Harvard blows away men's tennis at ECACs in N.Y.

Revenge is sweet, which is why the Princeton men's tennis team simply can not wait until April.

The Tigers were routed, 6-1, by Harvard in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship this weekend in Flushing Meadow, N.Y. The Crimson took five of the six matches and the doubles point against Princeton en route to its second ECAC Championship in a row.

Head coach Glenn Michibata thinks the Tigers have the ability to avenge the loss come spring.

"I see some weak spots in Harvard's lineup," Michibata said.

These are weak spots the Tigers hope to take advantage of once senior Josh Burman is at full strength. Burman, who has not played in a year and a half due to injuries, won both of his singles matches playing at the five spot. He added two more victories in doubles, with his only loss coming in doubles against Harvard.

"Playing at the top of his game, he could be [our No.] 1 or 2," Michibata said.

Injuries seem to have plagued the Tigers' season thus far. In addition to Burman, sophomore Sratha Saengsuwarn and freshman Ash Sarohia suffered from shoulder problems.

Sarohia was rolling over Harvard's Dhaka, breaking him twice to go up 5-2. While serving for the set, however, the pain came back.

"I went for a serve and popped something in my shoulder," Sarohia said. He was forced to forfeit the match early in the second set.

"The calendar forces us to rush people in there," Michibata said. "The players' bodies are not prepared for the pounding of so many tournaments so early into the season."

The lopsided score was not indicative of how close the match was, as half the sets were decided by only one break.

"I'm not disappointed in the way our guys fought," Michibata said.

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Though upset about not winning the tournament, the Tigers are pleased with their performances in the first and second rounds.

Princeton opened the ECAC Championship against Boston College. Saengsuwarn, Sarohia, Burman, and junior Darius Craton provided singles victories. The teams of Craton and Burman, Sarohia and Saengsuwarn, and sophomores Andrew Lieu and Hans Plukas swept the doubles matches to put Princeton into the second round.

Yale posed even less of a problem. The Tigers' only loss to the Bulldogs came against their top player in a tough three-setter.

"We were expected to beat BC; we were expected to beat Yale," said Craton, who lost to Yale's Brandon Wai, a winner of two tournaments already this year.

BC and Yale were merely stepping stones, matches on which to build. The Tigers knew the victory they truly wanted all along.

"Harvard's been one of our main rivals," Craton said. The Crimson have consistently been one of the best teams in the Ivies. Last year they were ranked in the top 20 nationally. But while a number of Harvard's top players graduated last year, Princeton has only gotten stronger.

"The depth of [Princeton] is probably deeper than any other team in the Ivies," Sarohia said.

The Tigers are looking to heal their wounds for the time being. They play next at the ITA Regionals in Blacksburg, Va., in two weeks. The break should give them much needed rest to gather themselves and get everyone up to full strength.

Princeton will not get to face Harvard head-to-head until April 16.