The opening match of the men’s tennis Ivy League season ended in disappointment on Saturday when it lost a battle to the Columbia Lions 5-2. The Red traveled to New York in both teams’ Ivy openers, providing the Lions with a home court advantage. Not only did Columbia play on its own campus, but also on indoor and clay courts, two features to which the Red is not accustomed.
The Cornell men’s doubles began strong, triumphing in two of the three doubles matches.
The single matches were vital to the decision though. Zach Gallin, who plays in the No. 5 slot, and team captain and No. 1 singles player, Mike Halperin, both earned success in their matches. However, the Red suffered losses in the No. 2 and No. 6 single matches, leaving the victory to the Lions.
Despite his personal win, Mike Halperin expressed regret over the team’s loss.
“It was disappointing. Columbia played well, I am not going to take anything away from them,” the 2000 Ivy League Player of the Year explained. “However, I don’t think this loss will determine who wins the Ivies.”
The Big Red will be looking to improve its Ivy standing when it travels next weekend. The team faces Harvard on April 6 at 2 p.m. and Dartmouth at 12 p.m.
Archived article by Meryl Conant