Tufts enters this spring aiming to improve on last year's 7-6 record and No. 22 national ranking, and strong singles play from the team's veterans will be a key to accomplishing this goal.
Senior co-captains Rifat Perahya and Adam Yates will be leading the way at the top of the singles line-up. The 2005 roster boasts eight returning players, five of whom cracked the top starting six spots. The Jumbos will need that experience playing in a NESCAC that owns six of last year's top 25 teams in the country.
Perahya will play as the No. 1 singles seed for Tufts for the second year in a row. He has compiled a 33-16 record in singles play and returns to Voute Courts this year as one of the nation's top competitive Div. III competitors. Perahya was one of 32 players selected for the NCAA Singles Championships held at Bates College.
Last year the line-up was bruised by sidelining injuries, as two key singles players did not compete for the full season. Yates and junior Paul Roberts will be looking to stay healthy to win matches at the top of the lineup. Yates only managed to challenge one opponent last year - he had to take a seat due to leg injuries and a fractured hand. The senior co-captain, who has accumulated a 20-12 career record, aims to be ready for action after spring break.
The Jumbos are deep this year with 11 players potentially fighting for five spots. Yates and Roberts, if healthy, will be challenged by fellow juniors Jon Rubenstein and Ben Alexander, sophomores Sean McCooey, Corey Keller, Matt Gallin, Geoff Loh, Craig Kunkes, and freshmen William Fleder and Kenny Leavitt for a starting position.
"We won't know who's playing what [position] until the last minute," Yates said. "The only set positions are Rifat at one. Other than that, it's up in the air."
The starting line-up at the beginning of last season consisted of Perahya at one followed sequentially by the only graduated senior, Jon Bram, Alexander, Roberts, Rubenstein and McCooey. By the end of the season, Roberts was sidelined with injuries and Rubenstein and McCooey each moved up a slot, with Keller filling in at the number six position.
"I think this year we have an excellent chance to succeed," Keller said. "Losing only one senior and gaining a few talented freshmen should enable us to place within the top three in NESCAC."
Alexander had a 7-5 record in dual matches in the No. 3 and No. 4 positions while Rubenstein was 6-6 playing anywhere from No. 4 to No. 6. McCooey and Keller stepped up as freshmen last year to hold down the end of the starting roster racking up a total of 13 wins and only six loses in dual matches.
This year Fleder is the top recruit and is expected to earn a starting position. He and Leavitt are both from the Northeast, hailing from New York City and Longmeadow, Mass., respectively, and will be competing against men they faced in junior competition.
"Fleder should be playing top six, he's been doing very well in challenge matches," Yates said. "Leavitt is also a freshman and has a shot at varsity."
There is no shortage of depth this year for the men's team and this will prove to be one the strongest weapons the Jumbos have this season. Coach Jim Watson also has more time to devote to the squad after stepping down from the women's head coaching position to coach the men full-time. The veteran coach, who was named New England Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1994, is entering his 24th season as head coach.
"Having Coach Watson as a full-time coach has proven beneficial because he has been able to focus on individual improvement more than last year." Keller said.
If the men can stay healthy and the depth proves strong, then Watson's lineup could be achieving more successes this spring.
