The Observer, April 6, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 23
Men salvage split with victory over Rochester
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The nomadic lives of the Case tennis teams continued last weekend when they traveled to Rochester, N.Y., for weekend matches against Rochester and Brandeis. The men salvaged a split for the weekend, sweeping Rochester, 7-0, on Sunday after falling to Brandeis, 5-4, on Saturday.
The women did not have as successful of a weekend, losing to Rochester, 7-2, on Saturday and Brandeis, 5-0, on Sunday.
Ben Sinder continued his winning ways for the men's team by winning both of his singles matches, defeating Mike Vulfovich of Brandeis, 6-3, 6-2, and Rochester's Brian Bowman, 6-1, 6-2. Sinder picked up another victory Sunday when he and partner Allen Ye defeated Adam Crosby and Michael Shepheard of Rochester. Sinder's school-record victory total now stands at 89.
Also posting multiple victories for the men's team in singles play was sophomore Kenneth Nguyen, defeating Cliff Silverman of Brandeis, 7-5, 6-1, at number six singles on Saturday and Rochester's Mike Komhanser, 6-0, 6-0, on Sunday. Nguyen's record in singles play now stands at 10-5.
Junior Joe Smetona, who won his singles match against Rochester's Mike Burger on Sunday, showed some dissatisfaction with the team's performance over the weekend.
"We didn't have a great weekend," he said. "We blew out Rochester, but since their top four players quit the team after the fall season, they were rather impotent. The match we really wanted to win was against Brandeis. Both teams are very comparable, but they managed to emerge victorious."
Smetona could not identify one particular match or aspect of the team's play that cost the Spartans a victory against Brandeis.
"We only lost by one match, so any one of the matches that we lost would have been great to win," he said. "I am upset that I lost my singles match and would have liked to have been able to clinch the match for the team."
On the women's side, Marta Worwag posted the lone singles victory on the trip, defeating Rochester's Mel Beckman 7-5, 6-4 at No. 2 singles on Saturday. The victory was Worwag's seventh in singles play this season.
The women returned home on Monday and played at Baldwin-Wallace, losing 0-9. Worwag played well in her singles match but suffered a tough defeat at the hands of Britney Shy, falling 6-4, 7-6.
The men will next be in action tomorrow when they host Oberlin College at 11 a.m. This match will begin a busy home stretch as the team will host Denison on Tuesday, April 10, at 4:30 p.m., and Allegheny the following day at 4 p.m. The women's next match is also on April 11 at home against Allegheny at 4 p.m.
Editor's Note: Saisho Mangla contributed to this report.
