Shannon Welch/Photo Editor

The men’s tennis team suffered its second loss of the early season, falling to the Williams Ephs by a score of 2-7 in Wesleyan’s first NESCAC match of the year. Though the loss dropped the Cardinals’ overall record to 1-2, the team seems to be playing inspired tennis to begin the season. Rather than feeling disappointed over the loss to a Little Three rival, many players left the match feeling optimistic.

The highlights of the match start with the freshmen. Michael King ’16 earned his first college victory at the #3 singles seed, winning in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. In doubles, Sam Rudovsky ’16, along with #1 singles player and co-captain Jeff Legunn ’13, easily won the #2-seed match, 8-3. Having two newcomers make an early positive impact on the Cardinals’ season bodes well for their future.

Potentially even more promising was the way in which Saturday’s match played out. Though losing by a score of 2-7, the Cardinals never lost hope of mounting a comeback. Only one of the fourteen sets in singles matches featured a Wesleyan player failing to grab at least one game. If progress is indeed tangible, the men’s team seems to be certainly making headway.

“This weekend showed that we can compete with the best teams in the NESCAC,” said co-captian Michael Glen ’13. “Even though we lost, we were never at any point out of the match. If we continue putting in the work, we are going to do some serious damage.”

On Saturday, Sept. 22, a portion of the squad will travel to Williams for the ITA Tournament—a singles invitational that will not feature team scoring. The event does, however, offer another potential measuring stick for the Cardinals, who are using the fall season to continue improving as a team.

Their record may elicit concern or even disappointment, but the men’s tennis team is not shortsighted. There is undeniable improvement in the way the Cardinals are performing. With a new coach and new talent, the team hopes to see results in the win column sooner rather than later.