The men's tennis team battled its way to a 7-8 regular season mark and placed sixth out of 11 teams at the NESCAC Championships last season. This season, the squad is looking to improve on the mediocre mark, and with the loss of only one player to graduation and the influx of a couple solid, young players, there is strong potential for improvement.
For the tennis team, everything starts at the top where coach Jim Watson will enter his 21st season at the helm. Watson, who also coaches the women's tennis team, sports a 171-94 record as the men's coach. Watson's accomplishments also include guiding his men's team to the NCAA Tournament on three occasions, an appearance in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd," and recognition as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) East Region Coach of the Year in 1994.
While Watson provides the off-the-court inspiration, the leading man on the court is junior standout David Ruttenberg. Last season Ruttenberg was named to the All-NESCAC team. In addition, he was the 14th-ranked singles player in the country by the ITA last season.
"He is the team leader," Watson said of Ruttenberg, "I expect great things from him."
Other key players returning to the team this year will be senior captain Mark Fitzgerald, junior Danny Lang, and sophomore Jon Bram. While Watson expects this group to continue its solid play while simultaneously providing leadership, the keys to the season could be the emergence of two freshmen: Rifat Perahya and Adam Yates.
Perahya, who hails from Istanbul Turkey, could have the most significant impact on the team, as the youngster is expected to take control of the vacated number-two spot.
"He will strengthen our number two spot" Watson said. "We had problems last year but now we have a bona fide number two."
Meanwhile, Yates could also contribute to the team's success as he is expected to see some playing time in the sixth spot.
Despite their youth, Watson seems optimistic about the potential of his two young players. "I have hopes that this will bolster the whole team," he said.
With Watson's lineup ostensibly set, featuring Ruttenberg at one, Perahya at two, Bram at three, Lang at four, Fitzgerald at five, and Yates in the sixth spot, the coach is now focusing on match strategy.
One area that Watson has emphasized early on has been how his players manage the middle of the court. "I preach how to attack the middle and go to the net," Watson said. "We have to learn how to attack and go to the net."
While Watson has been working on strategy he has also has been careful not to restrict the way his team plays. In other words, Watson feels that although it is important for his players to work within a certain framework, he does not want to take away from the style that has made them successful in the past.
"I'm here to supplement the style they came in with," Watson said, "It's not my way or the highway."
Watson is not alone in his optimistic predictions. Fitzgerald, who will occupy the fifth slot this season, also has high hopes for the team.
"We are definitely ready to compete for a top spot in the NESCAC and maybe even go to nationals," he said.
Fitzgerald realizes these goals are lofty but says that the team can accomplish this feat, even after coming off a somewhat disappointing 7-8 showing last season.
While a trip to Nationals may be too much to expect for this team, success within the NESCAC should not be. "Williams and us will be battling for first," Fitzgerald said.
The season begins this afternoon when the Jumbos head to Brandeis. Tufts kicks off its NESCAC schedule this weekend with showdowns against Conn. College and Wesleyan on Friday and Saturday respectively. Making matters even more difficult for the Jumbos is that all three of these matches are away. On a positive note, however, Tufts did defeat both Conn. College (10th) and Wesleyan (ninth) at last year's NESCAC Championships.
Though Tufts should have the advantage in these matches, it will not be easy. "It will be hard to make adjustments," Watson said. "All these teams are solid. We will see right off the bat how capable we are."
