Feb. 1, 2012

Final Stats

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Penn rallied after dropping the doubles point to win four three-set singles matches and post a 4-3 victory over the Navy men's tennis team Wednesday afternoon at the Tose Family Tennis Center in Annapolis. In all, five of the six singles matches contested on the day were extended to three sets in a dual that last just under four hours.

"We played extremely good tennis today," said Navy head coach John Officer. "I was disappointed in our energy level in our matches Saturday, but we really came ready to play today."

Navy (3-1) played without two members of its regular doubles lineup, but still earned the doubles point over Penn (1-0). The first match to finish was at the No. 1 flight where Navy's Calvin Mark (Fr., Union City, Calif.) and Peter McDonald (Fr., Chapel Hill, N.C.) moved up one spot in the lineup to record an 8-6 win over Eugen Brazdil and Nikola Kocovic. The Quakers evened the score at one match apiece as their No. 2 tandem of Jeremy Court and Zach Katz tallied an 8-2 victory over Blake Daniel (Fr., Overland Park, Kan.) and Chris Kenney (So., Westlake Village, Calif.). Navy then won the doubles point when its No. 3 duo of Heyward Drayton (So., Valley Forge, Pa.) and Nicholas Gutsche (Jr., Sarasota, Fla.) posted an 8-5 win over Phil Law and Jason Magnes.

The Mids started the singles portion of the dual slow, winning just one of the opening sets in the six matches played between the teams. However, Navy bounced back to force a third set in four of the five matches in which it had lost the first set.

Penn would earn its first team point of the day when Court won a 6-0, 7-5 decision over Tyler Burnett (Fr., Fayetteville, Ga.) at No. 4 singles. Navy reclaimed the lead when the ensuing match finished, a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 win by Mark over Jason Lin at the No. 3 flight. The team points were evened again (2-2) after Kocovic hung on for a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4) win over McDonald at No. 2 singles.

The Quakers took their first lead of the day (3-2) when Brazdil rallied after losing the opening set to Daniel at No. 5 singles to post a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory. Law then secured the team victory for Penn when he won a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 match over Marcus Rebersak (Sr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) at No. 1 singles.

The last match of the day saw Gutsche win a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 decision over Magnes at No. 6 singles.

"I think we showed what type of team we can be, which is one that can contend for a league title," said Officer. "To take a talented Ivy League team such as Penn right down to the wire, where the decision easily could have gone the other way, is a great sign.

"I'm most proud of how we came back after losing those four first sets in singles. That, and winning the doubles point without two of our starters. Everyone really stepped up. This was not a win, but it was as close to a win as you can get."

Navy will be back in the Tose Family Tennis Center Saturday for matches against Villanova (noon) and Howard (5 p.m.).

Penn (1-0) def. Navy (3-1), 4-3
Feb 1, 2012 at Annapolis, Md. (Tose Family Tennis Center)
Doubles -- Navy wins the doubles point (1-2-3)
1. Mark, Calvin / McDonald, Peter (NAVY) def. Brazdil, Eugen / Kocovic, Nikola (PENN) 8-6
2. Court, Jeremy / Katz, Zach (PENN) def. Daniel, Blake / Kenney, Chris (NAVY) 8-2
3. Drayton, Heyward / Gutsche, Nicholas (NAVY) def. Law, Phil / Magnes, Jason (PENN) 8-5
Singles (4-3-2-5-1-6)
1. Law, Phil (PENN) def. Rebersak, Marcus (NAVY) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
2. Kocovic, Nikola (PENN) def. McDonald, Peter (NAVY) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4)
3. Mark, Calvin (NAVY) def. Lin, Jason (PENN) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
4. Court, Jeremy (PENN) def. Burnett, Tyler (NAVY) 6-0, 7-5
5. Brazdil, Eugen (PENN) def. Daniel, Blake (NAVY) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
6. Gutsche, Nicholas (NAVY) def. Magnes, Jason (PENN) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2