The Cornell men’s tennis team will put its undefeated record on the line this weekend when it faces St. John’s and Binghamton on Sunday at Reis Tennis Center. The Red has raced to a perfect record, however, its two opponents come into the weekend struggling.
The Red Storm, whom the Red will play first, boasts a less than impressive 0-3 record. Led by seniors Erik and Brian Scharf, St. John’s has several top notch singles players. But the team lacks strength in the lower seedings.
“St. John’s isn’t nearly as deep as we are,” senior tri-captain Mike Halperin said.
In the second half of the Sunday doubleheader, the Red will take on Binghamton. The Bearcats carry a 4-3 record into the weekend, but have won just one of its past four matches.
Dmitriy Litvak, Binghamton’s top player sets the tone for his team, as he has an impressive 9-2 singles record. Among Litvak’s supporting cast are Randall Shu (9-4) and Brian Hoffner (7-4). Yet on paper, Cornell still appears to be the stronger team.
“From what I know, Binghamton is a weaker team,” Halperin noted. “We should be able to beat them.”
While the Red’s opponents are spiraling downwards like the stock prices for “dotcom” companies, Cornell has been untouchable as of late. The team has been virtually untouchable as of late and has shown uncanny depth. A clear example of this balance was last week’s 7-0 trouncing of Colgate, in which the team won every match in straight sets.
As has been the case for much of the early season, the team must be mentally prepared despite facing inferior opponents. If Cornell plays up to its potential, though, it should have no problem dispatching both the Red Storm and Bearcats. Judging by past performances, the Red will rise to the challenge.
Archived article by Alex Ip