Men’s tennis won its season opener against the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 8, only to find disappointment at the hands of Nichols College on the other side of a doubleheader later in the day.
The Cardinals took court early against Coast Guard and delivered a quick and dominant victory by a score of 7-2, with the only two losses coming in the third and fifth singles matchups. Co-captain Jeff Legunn ’13 won both of his matches, one at singles and one as a doubles pair with freshman Sam Rudovsky ’16. Stephen Monk ’15, Ben Hudson ’15, and Mike King ’16 also took home singles victories against the Cadets.
The afternoon match versus Nichols ended less positively, with the team losing 5-3 in what proved to be the first defeat in almost two years.
Alex Rachlin ’15 and co-captain Michael Glen ’13 highlighted an otherwise forgettable match. Rachlin defeated his foe handily by a score of 6-1, 6-1. Not to be outdone, Glen won in an unimpeachable fashion, double-bagel-ing his opponent 6-0, 6-0.
The doubles team of Donovan Suh ’15 and Charlie Seifer ’15 also made its presence felt. The duo won both matches of the day decisively, furthering the case to new head coach, Michael Fried, that he has found a solid #3 doubles team to rely on.
Despite the victories, what started as a great opening to the season became a clear message that more work is needed.
“We have to keep putting in a solid effort if we want to have a successful NESCAC season,” Rachlin remarked.
The squad may be disappointed about its inability to replicate the perfect non-conference record they posted last season. However, focus on the bigger goal remains – the Cards still hope to use the fall season as a way to compete for the conference in the spring.
“The competition showed us what we’re doing well, and what we need to work on. These were the first matches of what will be a long season, and we need to keep our larger goals in mind,” Glen asserted.
This weekend presents a big opportunity for the Cardinals to assert themselves, as they play host to a very formidable and familiar foe. The Purple Cows of Williams College, ranked third nationally, will make their way down to Middletown on Saturday, Sept. 15 to reignite the Little Three rivalry. The Cards hope to use the match as a measuring stick for where they are compared to the past season, and what they need to do to improve.