BY ERIC SWEIGARD

In print | Published April 13, 2006

Swarthmore men’s tennis picked up an important win on Sunday afternoon against 25th-ranked College of New Jersey. The victory improves their record to 4-9 on the season and 4-3 against Division III teams.

Entering the courts wearing their black shorts and black tops, the team looked like a squad of ninjas armed with rackets and little, yellow, fuzzy balls. But this was no ordinary ninja fight.

Swarthmore easily won the doubles point as #1 doubles pair Zachary Rodd ’06 and Brian Park ’06 and the #2 pair of Jon Reiss ’07 and Jonathon Lo ’08 crushed their adversaries 8-1 and 8-4, respectively. In the third game of the first doubles match, Rodd served with laser accuracy, acquiring three aces in true ninja fashion. Both Rodd and Park were handing out aces like bribed poker dealers.

As Rodd said afterwards, “Things were clicking pretty well.”

With the doubles point secured, the Garnet took a one-love lead and never looked back (except for twice) on their way to a 5-2 victory. Reiss (5-7, 6-3, 6-0), Park (6-4, 6-1), Adam Wallwork ’07 (4-6, 6-2, 3-0 (ret.)), and Sam Sidhu ’07 (6-1, 6-2) all won their singles matches to give Swarthmore an additional four points.

The only two defeats came as Rodd and Lo fell to their opponents at #1 singles (6-3, 3-6, (7-10)) and #4 singles (6-2, 1-6,2-6), respectively.

Sidhu, who defeated his opponent at #6 singles before the crowd could even blink, said he was feeling “pretty solid” and was pleased that the team pulled it out in the end. Rodd said that he was thrilled with the team’s “wins down the whole lineup.”

This depth in the line-up bodes well for the team as the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament approaches in early May. For those who don’t regularly follow the team, this is like the Genghis Khan Karate Ring Of Death of the tennis world.

While Sidhu said that Sunday’s shellacking of TCNJ is “the way we want to do things, especially now [that we’re] gearing up for Regionals,” Rodd said that the team must “work hard to get to where it needs to be.”

Only three regular-season matches remain for the Garnet, whose next match is on Friday when they travel to take on 20th-ranked Washington College. The competition against the Shoremen begins at 4 p.m.

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