Berke, veterans lead men't tennis

Last May, Steve Berke, MC '03, became the first unseeded player to reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament. Although he was ultimately knocked off by third-seeded Matias Boeker of the University of Georgia, Berke's unprecedented success capped an auspicious season of Yale men's tennis, in which the Bulldogs finished 19-5, ranked 56th in the nation.

This season, the Elis will attempt to recapture the level of play that propelled them last year. Fueled by All-American Berke, a strong core of seniors, and a crop of talented recruits, the team looks to surpass even its own high expectations.

MELISSA GARREN/YH After posting a winning record last year, the Bulldogs look to rely on their experienced players this fall.

Leading the team are returning veterans, Captain Chris Shackelton, CC '02, Berke, Andrew Rosenfeld, ES '04, and David Goldman, BK '04. Hoping to fill remaining lineup spots are freshmen Ryan Murphy, SY '05, Johnny Lu, PC '05, Andrew Arons, TD '05, and Dan Clemens, TD '05.

"We have talented freshmen that will contribute right away," Shackelton said. "This year's team knows how to win."

Although Shackelton has been designated the team's leader, it is Berke whose game has set the bar for this year's squad. Both Shackelton and Coach Alex Dorato believe that Berke's presence elevates the Bulldogs' overall level of confidence.

"[Steve] is an on-court leader," Dorato said. "What he does gives us more confidence. With him, we feel like we'll be up 1-0 almost all of the time."

"My goal this year is to be ranked No. 1 in the country," Berke said. "My expectation is to be in the top five."

Both Berke and Dorato point to the team's seniors as keys to overall success. According to Dorato, the seniors on the team "set the tone for the team's overall work ethic and confidence level."

Matches this weekend at Princeton and Cornell will serve as tests for upcoming tournaments, Shackelton said. The Elis hopes to qualify for national events by excelling at the ECAC championships, to be held Oct. 5 to 8 at Harvard. The Bulldogs will also take part in the All-American Championships, Thurs., Oct. 11 through Sun., Oct. 14, in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Yale's Invitational tournament is set to take place Sat., Sept. 29 to Sun., Sept. 30, but after that the Bulldogs will not compete at home until January. Entering the first tournaments of the year, the general feeling is optimistic.

"This year's team knows how to win," Shackelton said. "We know exactly what it is going to take to be successful and to win the Ivy League championship."

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