The Yale men’s tennis squad came into this past weekend hot, as the team rode a three-game winning streak and had managed a 9–3 record prior to the three home matchups they faced on Saturday and Sunday. Yale (11–4) challenged St. John’s, Fordham and Bryant at the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center, seeking to continue its near-perfect performance on home court.
The weekend’s first match proved a disappointment for the Elis as St. John’s edged them in a nail-biting 3–4 defeat. Tyler Lu ’17, currently the 98th ranked player in the country, managed a straight sets win at the No. 1 spot, and Daniel Faierman ’15 emerged victorious in a straight sets win against the Red Storm’s Lucas Hehjal at No. 3. Despite their efforts, Yale and St. John’s were tied at three games apiece when singles play ended.
Doubles play proved heartbreaking for the Bulldogs, with the duo of Lu and Martin Svenning ’16 losing a close 8–6 match while Faierman and Kyle Dawson ’14 were taken down in an 8–4 loss. Yale claimed just one of the three doubles contests as the Red Storm took home the double’s point and ultimately the win.
“We had a tough loss against St. John’s on Saturday but we will learn from it and make some adjustments both physically and mentally going into Ivies,” Faierman said.
Adjustments stemming from the defeat seemed to come even earlier, however, and the Elis bounced back against Fordham and Bryant. Yale managed a perfect Sunday afternoon, dismantling both squads 7–0. Against Fordham, Lu continued his winning ways at the No. 1 spot, defeating Mad Najfield 6–3, 3–6, 1–0. Zachary Krumholz ’15 bounced back in impressive fashion after a 0–6 first set loss to win his matchup 0–6, 6–2, 7–6 in a comeback at the No. 5 seed. Coming into doubles play, Yale had claimed six of seven available points and secured the win. Nevertheless, the Elis took the final point on the back of a Lu and Svenning 8–5 win.
Yale proved equally dominant against Bryant, which the Bulldogs took on later that afternoon. Lu managed to cap off the weekend with his third straight singles win, defeating Bryant’s Dana Parziale at the No. 1 seed, while Faierman had perhaps the most dominant singles performance of the afternoon, winning 6–1, 6–0.
In doubles, the Bulldogs continued their stifling play, sweeping Bryant in decisive fashion. Lu and Svenning posted an authoritative 8–3 victory while Faierman and Alex Hagermoser ’17 won 8–4. The loss dropped Bryant to a 10–10 overall record, while the Elis ascended to 11–4, cementing their status as a top-75 squad in the nation.
“Losing in such a close match on Saturday was definitely really tough but we really managed to bounce back and sweep both matches Sunday which was good,” Lu said. “Hopefully we can use the St. John’s match as motivation and experience for the upcoming Ivies.”
The Yale men’s tennis team currently sits at No. 68 in the ITA national rankings and begins Ivy League play this coming Saturday against Princeton.