Missing two of their top singles players, including ace Max Kates ’06, the Wesleyan men’s tennis team still blasted their way past Vassar, 6-2, en route to their third win of the spring season. Playing up a spot at number one, Tallen Todorovich ’07 led the charge as the top five Wesleyan single seeds all took home victories.
“Vassar was a good win because we managed to lay down an authoritative win without Max and Jack [Rooney ’07], two key members of our starting lineup,” Evan Rhodes ’05 said.
Todorovich dismantled Vassar’s top player 6-1, 6-4, clearly not at all fazed by the higher seeding of his match. Said the sophomore, “Playing number one was a great experience. I did not come into the match with a different mental approach. I knew if I played my game I would dominate.”
The team’s solid play continued all the way through the line-up despite every player playing up at least one spot. In the two-hole, Matt Cron ’05 rebounded from a first set loss to take his match in three. Rhodes sandwiched a pair of set victories around his second set loss for a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win in the three spot.
“I just tried to stay loose and really move my feet, and also just enjoy playing a good opponent,” Rhodes said later. “Before the match the athletic mortality of being in my last season of collegiate athletics kind of hit me and I decided to just enjoy these last few matches I have left. I think it translated well, particularly because the match was so close; I was able to remain pretty calm and level-headed ennobled by a larger perspective.”
Mike Roguly ’05, playing at number four, won his match with identical 6-1, 6-1 set wins. “The guy I played in singles had a un-orthodox game so I had to make some adjustments,
Roguly said. ”He hit his forehand very flat so I started playing low balls on his forehand and he kept missing. I felt very confident throughout the whole match.“
Rounding out the singles wins for the Cardinals, Michael Frank ’08 took home a victory in the fifth spot. Unfortunately, fellow frosh Max Schenkein was not so lucky at number six, falling in his first singles match of the season 6-7, 1-6.
”We got good production from our freshman, particularly Dank Frank in his convincing debut at the number five spot,“ Rhodes said.
In doubles, the Cardinals felt the absence of Kates and Rooney, but because the pair are doubles partners, no duos were disrupted. The pair of Pauri Pandian ’08 and Vijay Chaudhuri ’07 stepped up to take over the third doubles seed. In the top spot, Todorovich and Rhodes brought home a W with ease, winning 8-3.
”Evan and I played a great match,“ Todorovich said. ”We are finally on the same page.“ ”Tallen and I finally started playing well, basically because we recognized the major chump factor of our opponents, neither of whom actually had backhands, and strode through our match with confidence,“ Rhodes said. ”Now that we’ve played well in a match setting, I feel like that confidence will continue.“
The rest of the doubles matches, however, did not bounce the Cardinals’ way. Cron and Roguly lost 4-8 and Pandian and Chaudhuri fell 0-8.
Despite the doubles troubles the Cardinals flew away from Poughkeepsie, NY with a 6-2 victory, short-handed. Up next for Wesleyan is a NESCAC duel with Connecticut College Tuesday afternoon and, even more anticipated, a showdown with archrival Williams on Friday. The Cardinals, thanks to their recent wins, are confident.
”We are all looking forward to playing Conn. and extending our win streak to three matches,“ Roguly said.
”Expect a drubbing,“ Rhodes said. ”This isn’t even going to be a match.“