Confident team takes revenge on Navy, looks ahead to Ivies

What a difference a year makes. In its final tune-up before the Ivy League season, the Yale men's tennis team easily disposed of an inferior Navy squad 7-0, coasting through its six singles and three doubles matches without a scare.

Though the Bulldogs were expected to defeat the struggling Midshipmen, the trouncing propelled the team into 54th place in the national tennis rankings and further inspired the already confident 13-1 squad.

COURTESY SPORTS PUBLICITY Greg Royce, SY '01, and men's tennis dominated Navy on Sat. Mar. 31.

Just last year, in the midst of a disappointing 12-10 season and a sixth-place Ivy League finish, Yale lost twice to the mediocre Midshipmen. Revenge is sweet, but rarely so emphatic.

The Bulldogs enter the Ivy League season riding a three-game winning streak and an incredible wave of confidence; a narrow loss to San Diego is the only blemish in their otherwise flawless early record. The team's strongest asset has been its balance, as every player owns a winning record.

The Bulldogs have dominated doubles competition, winning 13 of their 14 matches. Most importantly, the team's newcomers have quickly adapted to collegiate play. David Goldman, BK '04, has performed brilliantly, leading the Bulldogs with a remarkable 12-1 singles record as the number-three player.

The Bulldogs begin their Ivy League campaign this weekend with matches against Penn and Princeton. Though the team should have little trouble defeating Penn, Princeton presents a formidable challenge, as the Tigers should compete with Yale and Harvard for the league crown.

For the first time in several years, Yale has a legitimate shot at the Ivy League championship, and as both Harvard and Princeton travel to New Haven this spring, the Bulldogs remain cautiously optimistic.

"We recognize the need to maintain our focus against all of our competitors, and if we keep playing the way we have been we should beat both Penn and Princeton," Captain Greg Royce, SY '01, said. "This is the highest we've been ranked since I arrived at Yale, and I'm incredibly excited for the rest of the season. We definitely will compete for the league championship."

—Kenneth Hammond

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