Disappointing weekend for tennis

Some teams find it easier to dominate on the road than on the pressure-filled courts at home. But for the Boston University men’s and women’s tennis teams, the road was very unfavorable this past weekend. The women traveled to New Haven, Conn. to face No. 41 Yale University, losing 6-1 and dropping to 9-4 overall. The men’s team also fell, 6-1, to Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., putting the Terriers at 1-13 for the season. Although the margin of defeat on the women’s side implies a decisive Yale victory, the contest was much closer than the score indicates. ‘We played them close in the number one, two and three spots,’ BU women’s coach Lesley Sheehan said. ‘If we were able to come up with wins in those matches, we actually could have had a 4-3 win.’ In the number one spot, freshman Stefanie Nunic fought a tough match, battling back to win the second set, but eventually lost the third and the match to Yale’s No. 116 Janet Kim, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2. ‘That third set, she was just able to stay more mentally stable,’ Nunic said of her opponent. ‘I wasn’t as tired physically as I was mentally. She remained so calm throughout the entire match that it was definitely a huge reason why she came out on top.’ The team’s sole point came from a 6-1, 6-4 win by senior Yana Sadovskaya, playing in the number six spot. ‘My match went really well,’ she said. ‘I’ve had a pretty rough season, but I came in with a very positive attitude and my opponent played right into my game. It was a good matchup for me.’ Earlier this season, the team went on a seven-contest winning streak, but since the beginning of March, has lost three of its last five decisions. This is partly due to physical exhaustion and more difficult opponents. The remainder of the season won’t prove any easier. The team prepares to travel to Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of South Florida in the coming weeks. ‘It is great for our program to play these teams, and I know that if the team continues to improve, we can beat these types of teams,’ Sheehan said. ‘It’s hard because at this point in the season, everyone is worn down. You might not be physically 100 percent, but you just need to fight through it. Everyone fought hard this past weekend. Yale was just better this time,’ senior Cori Lefkowith said. As the number four against Yale, Lefkowith’s 6-1, 6-3 defeat was her first loss in dual match play this season, dropping her record to a still-impressive 11-1. The team hopes to continue the success it had earlier in the season and, as the returning America East champions, make a run in the NCAA Tournament. The men’s team’s loss marked its 12th straight dropped contest, with its last win coming in October. Like the women, the men suffered a 6-1 loss that was much closer than the score suggests. ‘We lost, but the match could have easily been closer,’ senior Charles Weinstein said. ‘I lost my match in a third-set tie-breaker 10-8 and both [junior Jeff Chudacoff] and [senior Tim Sichler] had very close matches.’ Playing in the number one spot, Chudacoff lost 7-5, 6-3 to sophomore Kirill Kasyanov, and Sichler, BU’s number five man, lost 6-1, 7-6 (9-7) to sophomore Mike Syer. The team understands that it is difficult to have a 1-13 record, but the players are keeping positive and working on what they can control ‘-‘- their own performance. ‘It has been a rough season,’ Weinstein said. ‘We all know it. Right now, it’s really important just to stay positive through this rough streak and just keep fighting day in and day out. We have some winnable matches ahead of us, so we have the chance to gain some momentum entering the conference tournament.’ Part of the team’s difficulties has come from injuries. Senior Miron Nissim was unable to compete for the beginning of the spring season after an ankle injury last fall. Saturday marked his first match back in the lineup. In his spring debut, Miron suffered a difficult 6-2, 6-0 loss. ‘It was great to see Miron back on the court playing singles again,’ Weinstein said. ‘We have definitely missed him in the lineup this year.’ The team’s lone point came from freshman Regis Chang, who won in a three-set match, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 10-7 against Sacred Heart freshman Chad Sullo. ‘It was a tough win for me, but I’m glad I came through in the end, especially since I had lost numerous three-setters earlier in the season,’ Chang said. ‘I knew that I needed to play steady and consistent, and I think that’s what it came down to, that I was a bit more solid than my opponent in this match.’