Finding confidence at home, the No. 50 Harvard men’s tennis team (13-10, 2-2) triumphantly ended the weekend with two Ivy League victories.The Crimson bested Penn 6-1 (7-13, 2-2) on Saturday and overcame No.37 Princeton (14-8, 2-2) on Sunday for a close 4-3 win.
“Everyone watching provided fantastic energy and a lot of support,” freshman Andy Zhou said. “Due to this, the team was riding the confidence waves.”
PRINCETON 4, HARVARD 3
The Tigers proved to be the bigger challenge on the weekend, as Harvard barely upset Princeton 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at the Murr Center.
The Tigers entered the weekend with an undefeated record in the Ivy League, earning a pair of 4-1 wins against both Brown and Yale. Additionally, sophomore Luke Gamble entered the match at the No.5 spot having triumphed in his last 10 decisions.
The Crimson, however, came into Sunday’s matchup with a 52-45 all-time series lead over Princeton, using its 4-3 victory against the Tigers last season as a foundation for confidence.
" Although we weren't able to get the doubles point today which was too bad, we were able to bounce back with strength in singles," co-captain Nicky Hu said. "Sebastian beat a great player at No. 2 and he really clinched for us today in front of his family."
Handling the pressure with grace, Beltrame closed the match for Harvard in a 6-4 third set victory from the No. 2 spot. Beltrame began the game with a first set win of 6-3, but was faced with a challenging battle as Princeton junior Tom Colautti gained the advantage in the second set 7-6 (5). Beltrame’s tiebreaker triumph gave Crimson the edge over the Tigers after a squared score of 3-3.
Starting at a 2-1 loss in the doubles point, the Crimson fought back to win four of six singles matches to gain the upper hand.
Hu fought back from a 6-3 loss in the first set to win the last two 6-3, 6-4. Zhou and freshman Christopher Morrow also took home straight set wins, as Zhou ended Gamble’s win streak with a 6-4, 6-4 victory and Morrow defeated Princeton freshman Jimmy Wasserman, 6-3, 6-0.
"Anytime a team strings together two victories, it is a positive reinforcer," said Hu. "If the team really focuses on one match, one point at a time, we have a real chance to make NCAA."
HARVARD 6, PENN 1
Blazing past Penn 6-1 on Saturday at the Murr Tennis Center, the Crimson started the weekend strong.
Sophomore Kenny Tao seized the match that ensured a Harvard victory at second singles on Saturday against the Quakers. Fighting back after an initial 6-1 loss in the first set against senior Vim de Alwis, Tao captured the following two sets, 6-3, 6-4.
Zhou rallied back from a first-set loss as well at fourth singles, taking the next two sets in order to defeat Penn junior Matt Nardella.
Read more in Sports
Women's Tennis Splits Weekend Against Penn, PrincetonRecommended Articles
-
BRIEF: Men's Tennis Bests Bryant, Falls to St. Johns, Northwestern
-
Men's Tennis Finishes 2-2 on West Coast SwingOver spring break, the Harvard men’s tennis team traveled across the country to train and compete in sunny California. The squad took on UC Irvine on March 13 before facing Iowa, San Diego State, and Drake in the Mission Valley Spring Classic tournament from March 16 through 18.
-
Men's Tennis Splits Cornell and Columbia ContestsThis weekend served up a rollercoaster of emotions for the Harvard men’s tennis team. On Saturday, the team—undefeated in the Ivy conference at that point and riding a six-game win-streak—faced off against a similarly undefeated No.20 Columbia squad at home. After clinching the win 4-2 and moving to first place in the Ivy League, the Crimson took on No. 25 Cornell on Sunday, ultimately falling 4-2.
-
Men's Tennis Tackles the TribeOverall, the team went 15-8 in singles and 5-3 in doubles. Freshmen Robert Wrzesinski and Constantin Zoske, sophomores Galen Lee and Logan Weber, juniors Andrew Ball, Michael Peters, and Andy Zhou, and seniors Grant Solomon and Jean Thirouin competed in the weekend’s match-ups against the Tribe, Middle Tennessee State, Penn State, Old Dominion, VCU, and Richmond.
-
Men's Tennis Sweeps Both Opponents in Texas Dual Match