Last week’s daunting winter weather put cramps in the schedule of both the men’s and women’s tennis teams. The women’s home match scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 27 against New York University was postponed. The men were set to battle Christopher Newport University last Saturday, but that too, has been rescheduled.
On Sunday, the men’s team opened its season against Skidmore College. The Lions lost the close match, 5-4. The men are 0-1 this season and Skidmore College now has a 5-1 record.
According to junior captain Jonathan Yu, many of the players were feeling winter jitters.
“Once we get a few wins under our belt I think we’ll have the confidence and determination to get wins against ranked teams,” he said.
The match consisted of six single matches. Both Yu and freshman Dean Thompson defeated their Skidmore opponents. Yu finished with scores of 7-6, 7-4, and 6-2. Thompson won 6-2 and 6-3.
In the doubles matches, sophomore brothers Steven Fernandez and Stewart Fernandez defeated the Skidmore duo 9-8 and 7-4.
Thompson and freshman partner TJ Riley were also victorious with a score of 8-6.
Yu says the team is very solid and has a competitive edge.
“I don’t think we have faced a team that has wanted to win more than we do,” he says.
During spring break the Lions’ men’s team will head to Orlando, Fla. to take on the University of Rochester, Carthage College and Vassar College. The women’s team will open this season on the road as it ventures to Orlando to face off against University of Rochester, Emory University and Coe College.
