This could mark the beginning of a promising season for the Lord Jeffs, who finished last year with a record of 4-7. "I'm really looking forward to the rest of the season," said Arpan Podduturi '05. "We have a lot more talent this year than last year. We have a lot of [freshman] guys excited to start the season. They breathe new air into the team."
The freshman prospects stepped up to claim some key points for the Jeffs on Saturday. In their college debuts, Amherst newcomers Josh Rilla '06 and Danny Babkes '06 turned in impressive performances. In second singles, Rilla turned in a solid 6-1, 6-0 victory. Playing first singles, Babkes beat Colby College's Rhett Silverstein 6-2, 6-2. "I really didn't know what to expect," Babkes said. "I was a little nervous since it was my first college match, but I won so it was alright."
Other exciting season debuts came from veterans Adam Leibsohn '03, who won 6-2, 6-1 on the day, and Max Rettig '05, who followed up last year's commendable rookie season with a 6-1, 6-0 win. Podduturi, despite a defeat in an early doubles match-up, redeemed himself by crushing his opponent, Kevin Yardi, by a score of 6-0, 6-0. "I was happy with the way I played," Podduturi said. "We've put in a lot of work. I felt really prepared and focused throughout my match."
"As a team, we showed a lot of positive stuff," said captain Andy Tsai '03, who at the number four singles position defeated Ben Crane 6-4, 6-3. "It was a tough match and we wanted to see how our guys would fair. Traditionally we have a tough time winning the first doubles point." Although Rettig and Podduturi lost in their doubles match 8-2, Babkes and Rilla triumphed 8-4, and Brian Chin '03 and Liebsohn's 8-5 victory proved enough to clinch the doubles point.
Saturday's dominating performance marked the culmination of two weeks of fierce training. "There's a whole new attitude this year. We have a new approach in terms of physical conditioning. We do lots of strength training, feet work and speed training after practice, which we haven't done in the past," said Tsai. "If we're in good physical condition, we'll be tougher on the courts."
Not only have these post-practice workouts proved advantageous on the courts, but they have also fostered an opportunity for team bonding. Tsai believes this year's men's tennis team has found a great sense of team unity. "Guys are out there cheering for each other, rooting for everyone. It's a privilege to lead such a great group of guys."
Amherst will have a chance to demonstrate their talents again as they take to the courts on Friday for the three day long ECAC tournament at Vassar College. "We didn't compete [in the ECAC tournament] last year, but the year before we won," said Tsai. "So we'll be pretty excited to defend that title again."