CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – No. 35 Harvard men's tennis (15-6, 1-1) hits the road for four of the final five matches, visiting Penn and No. 30 Princeton this weekend. The Crimson will meet the Quakers Saturday, April 11 at 1 p.m. before traveling to Princeton Sunday at 1 p.m.
Nguyen, Nguyen, Nguyen
At the No. 1 position this year, No. 37 Denis Nguyen holds a 15-10 overall record, including a 6-3 mark over the last 10 contests. Teaming up with sophomore Brian Yeung, the pair has earned 19 wins this year, holding a 12-4 mark in dual action to sit No. 10 in the country.
Yeung Money
Sophomore Brian Yeung owns a 15-6 overall record, including a 12-4 mark since starting dual matches. The Hong Kong product boasts perfect marks at the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 6 positions and has won nine of the last 11 matches.
Last Time Out
Harvard men's tennis suffered a hard-fought loss against No. 28 Columbia, 5-2, last Sunday afternoon at the Murr Tennis Center. The Crimson earned points from sophomore Sebastian Beltrame and freshman Grant Solomon. All matches came down to the wire, as five singles contests were three set thrillers.
Scouting Penn
Penn (14-6, 0-3) is on a three-game skid, falling to No. 28 Princeton, Yale and No. 62 Brown over the last two weeks. Against Brown, Penn tied the match at 2-2, but the Red and Blue couldn't quite hold on and dropped the match to the Bears, 5-2. Nicolas Podesta holds an 8-2 mark at the No. 1 position. Head coach David Geatz is in his fourth season overseeing the Quakers' men's tennis program.
Scouting Princeton
No. 30 Princeton (18-4) owns a perfect 3-0 record in Ivy League play, defeating Penn, Brown and Yale by 6-1 scores. The Crimson and Tigers have met twice already this season, with Harvard taking the opening match en route to the ECAC Championship title and Princeton earning a win at the USD Challenge in California. In its last time out, Princeton lost the doubles point, but rebounded to win all six singles matches and take the victory from Yale. Head coach Billy Pate is in his third season with the Tigers.
In the Rankings
Harvard sits at No. 35 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Poll this week after rising as high as No. 18 March 3, its highest ranking since 2013 (18). The Crimson is one of six Ivy League teams ranked. Individually, senior Denis Nguyen ranks No. 37 in singles play. Nguyen and sophomore Brian Yeung sit No. 10 in doubles action.
Team
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Jan. 6
|
29
|
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Jan. 20
|
30
|
|
Jan. 28
|
32
|
|
Feb. 3
|
30
|
|
Feb. 17
|
25
|
|
Feb. 24
|
22
|
|
March 3
|
18
|
|
March 10
|
21
|
|
March 17
|
22
|
|
March 24
|
33
|
|
March 31
|
36
|
|
April 7
|
35
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Home Cookin'
Harvard owns a 10-1 record thus far at home this season, beating opponents by a combined score of 62-16. The Crimson's lone loss came at the hands of No. 23 Vanderbilt.
LIVE! From the Murr, It's Men's Tennis
For the second-straight year, all Murr Center matches will be streamed live on the Ivy League Digital Network. Subscribers to the network can watch matches both live and on-demand at their convenience, and will have access to live and on-demand content for all Harvard athletic events through the duration of their subscription.
Fall Ball
Denis Nguyen and Brian Yeung wrapped the fall season with a spot at the 2014 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships after winning the doubles event at the ITA Regional Championships. In the semifinals of the regionals, Nguyen and Yeung bested Cornell's Vrabel and Casares to square off against Dartmouth's Sakinis and Kipuoras. The duo turned away the Big Red pair for the USTA/ITA regional championship title.
#Winning
The Crimson finished the fall season with an 81-39 (.675) record in tournament play. Sebastian Beltrame and Andrew Ball both registered a 10-3, while three Crimson student-athletes picked up wins over ranked opponents (Beltrame, Denis Nguyen and Alex Steinroeder).
Last Year
The Crimson is coming off an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, as Denis Nguyen became Harvard's first All-American since 2005 with a semifinals appearance in the men's singles draw.
On the Sidelines
David Fish, the Scott Mead '77 Family Head Coach for Harvard Men's Tennis, is in his 39th season with the Crimson after coaching the men's tennis team to an 18-7 record last season and leading the Crimson to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the third-straight season. Fish was named the winner of the 2014 ITA Meritorious Service Award in December.
