After starting the week with a gutsy win over Vassar, the men’s tennis team rolled over Babson 6-1 last Tuesday and Hamilton 7-0 on Sunday.
The team began the match with a sweep of all three doubles matches. Taking the resting captain Max Kates ’06 and the injured Tallen Todorovich’s ’07 number-one spot, freshmen Jaafar Rizvi and Matt O’Connell played a close match and eventually triumphed over their opponents 9-7.
Making a guest appearance at the number one singles positions, Jack Rooney ’07 tore up his opponent in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
“For a player that usually plays fifth in the lineup, Jack has a big enough game to keep up with the top players,” Kates said. “The Babson number one was a solid player, and Jack handled him well.”
Mike Frank ’08 and Paul Gerdes ’09 both delivered a set of flawless victories, as they pummeled their opponents 6-0, 6-0. Graham Immerman ’09 made an impressive debut at the number-six position as he dueled out another straight set win, 6-2, 6-3.
Unfortunately the back-to-back wins against Vassar and Babson were dampened by a 4-0 loss to Colby last Saturday. The Cardinals came very close to winning the doubles point, as the third doubles team of Alejandro Alvarado ’09 and Gerdes defeated the opponents 8-3. Rooney and Pauri Pandian ’08 came close to victory but lost a close 6-8 decision. With only four indoor courts to work with, Coach Alrutz cut the match short after Colby won the first three singles matches. Although there were mixed feelings over the abrupt loss, the team agreed that it was important to conserve energy for their match the following day against Hamilton.
The next day the Cardinals rolled over Hamilton, crushing the Continentals by a resounding 7-0 score. Because Todorovich was still recovering from injuries, Coach Alrutz shifted Rooney up to the number-two position. Once again proving that he could keep up, Rooney ran over his opponent 6-2, 6-3.
After a week without any matches, the men’s tennis team will gear up to play against Conn. College away on Wednesday, April 19. The Cards currently stand at 7-3 (1-2 NESCAC).
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