M. Tennis To Host VCU in NCAAs

The Harvard men’s tennis team enters the first round of the NCAA Tournament riding high after defeating Brown on April 25 to capture the Ivy League title, capping a 10-match winning streak and triumphantly concluding a home schedule that has witnessed just one loss throughout the entire dual season.

“We’re tired of waiting,” junior and third-singles Cliff Nguyen said. “We’re really ready to play.”

The Crimson hosts No. 17 Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), who look to be the squad to finally knock the Crimson (17-8, 7-0 Ivy) from its high horse.

Though Harvard has experience in dealing with high-ranked opponents, its rate of success has been far from noteworthy.

In six opportunities this season against opponents ranked in the top 30, the Crimson has managed just one win, squeaking past No. 27 Clemson 4-3 on Feb. 9.

The Rams (24-3) have the depth and skill that the Tigers lacked.

VCU features four players ranked in the top 107 in the country, with its top player—junior Pedro Nieto—ranked 60th. Harvard features only one—sophomore Jonathan Chu, ranked No. 95.

The Rams have lived up to their billing, casting aside opponents both as a team and on an individual level.

Its six usual singles-play starters have been virtually unstoppable throughout the season, combining for 113 wins and only 25 losses.

10 of those defeats can be attributed to No. 73 Florian Marquardt alone, with four others—Nieto, No. 107 Daniel Casquero, Francesco Lleal and Mats Norin—combining for just eight total defeats.

Lleal and Norin fill the lower positions for VCU and have cleaned up, so there will be no respite for the Crimson—even against the unranked players.

The Rams approach will be straightforward, but certainly not easy to defend.

“The whole team is strong from the baseline,” Nguyen said. “They have big serves, big forehands.”

But with the home turf of Beren Tennis Center beneath its feet, Harvard exudes a level of confidence fueled by the cheering crowds that has left several dual season opponents in its wake.

“In the last regular season match against Brown, a couple hundred fans showed up,” Nguyen said.

The Crimson’s only home loss came to No. 11 University of Minnesota, Twin Cities—and that 4-3 loss was even narrower than the one-point margin of defeat would indicate.

—Staff writer Timothy J. McGinn can be reached at mcginn@fas.harvard.edu.