The men’s tennis team finished its season with a 5-4 victory at home against Brandeis last week. It was the Cards’ second consecutive win by that score and it gave them three wins out of their last four to finish the year at an even 8-8, an improvement from last year.
The win was a great finish for tri-captain Michael Frank ’08, who was able to help the team pick up two important points, in singles and doubles. Paired with Matt Schaff ’11 at #3 doubles, the two rallied back from 3-7 down to win in a tiebreak, 9-8. Frank completed his sweep by winning 6-2, 6-1 at #4 singles. Graham Immerman ’09 followed in the footsteps of his captain by also winning both his matches. Immerman joined Matt O’Connell ’09 at #1 doubles and they, too, rallied back after trailing early to squeeze through in a tiebreak, 9-8. Immerman later took the court at #5 singles and solidified a fourth point in routine fashion, 6-3, 6-4. The final point came from Paul Gerdes ’09 who sliced through his opponent at #3, 6-4, 6-2, and gave the Cards the sweet victory.
This season has been full of ups and downs for the squad after starting strong during spring break in Florida and then returning home to face some very potent NESCAC and New England teams. The Cards lost four straight matches after returning to the cold, but responded nicely by closing out the season by winning three of four contests. That epitomized the grit of the team, coming together through their struggles and continuing to battle in every match.
Tri-captain Max Schenkein ’08 said his greatest tennis memory from this season is his last doubles match with fellow tri-captain Pauri Pandian ’08.
“Pauri and I, who played against each other in high school, when we talked about playing doubles together, against a very good Brandeis team, and almost coming back after we were down 4-7, that was great,” Schenkein said. “We got it back to 6-7 with two of the most fun games of tennis; we were just balling out there and having a great time.”
Frank, too, will miss the time traveling with his teammates as well as the matches that challenge him to push himself to the limit.
“I am definitely going to miss the opportunity to be on a proverbial island during matches competing against my opponent,” he said. “I am also going to miss the team as my teammates have been one of the highlights of my four years at Wesleyan.”
Like Pandian and Schenkein, Frank is just glad to have been able to end his career with a victory, leaving a sweet taste in his mouth. But he hopes that the way the team ended will rub off on the returning players, leading to an increased desire to maintain that winning feeling.
Matt O’Connell ’09 has learned a lot from Frank in their three years on the team together. In fact, O’Connell has insisted that Frank return to aid the team with his vast knowledge of the game and ferocious work ethic.
“I think a huge boost for our team would be if Mike Frank came back and specialized as a doubles coach,” O’Connell said. “He really knows the in-depth strategies involved in playing solid doubles, and he could be a huge help to the incoming freshman by passing on some words of wisdom about his sneaky good serving technique. I’m not sure what kind of job he has lined up for next year, but I’m going to make a strong push in the athletic department to match or exceed any potential salaries he has been offered. With any luck, we’ll be looking at a serious run for the NESCAC crown under the wing of Mike ’Mr. Footwork’ Frank.”
Whether O’Connell really believes this is a possibility or not, (Frank is working as a strategic consultant next year in Boston) it is clear he will miss the one-two step of his good friend and the mental aid that he has received as well. O’Connell took the leap to becoming the top singles player for the team this year and showed that he has the ability to compete with the best players in all of Division III. With a full season of playing #1 singles under his belt, next year is very promising as he has gained the match savvy of playing the best competitors in the league. He should only progress in his senior year to become the leader for this team and continue the improvement the Cards have made this year.
Next year will yet again be another test for the Cardinals as the NESCAC will always be competitive and demanding. Losing Frank, Pandian and Schenkein, all key contributors in singles and doubles this year, will be tough to overcome, but the team has a lot of depth. O’Connell will return for another year at the top singles spot and he will be joined by Gerdes and Immerman, who also should be match tough after full seasons of singles play. Other players like Alejandro Alvarado ’09 will be asked to play a larger role next year, and the freshmen will be needed to step up after a year of college experience. The team also hopes that Jaafer Rizvi ’09 can return from abroad this semester and contribute some valuable points in his senior season.
But for now, the off-season has begun and the seniors will cling to their remaining time here at Wesleyan. After years of memories on the courts, like every bird must do, they will leave their nest, and this year three Cards will fly away.
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