Men's Tennis Downs Emerson, 7-2

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - On Wednesday, the MIT men's tennis team opened its 2010 spring season with a home match against the Lions of Emerson College. The Engineers made quick work of the visiting Lions, winning 7-2 and sending them back into the evening's rain.

In doubles, all three Tech teams had no trouble with their opponents from across the Charles. The No. 2 team of Ken Van Tilburg and Matthew Skalak easily beat out Emerson's Dan Lapidus and Garret Mercer, taking the match, 8-1.

In the first set of singles, the Cardinal and Gray clinched the win with a quartet of straight-set wins. Larry Pang downed Allesandro Bellino [6-0, 6-2] in the No. 1 spot to score the clinching point.

The Lions' Lapidus avenged his doubles loss in the second set of singles, when in the No. 5 spot, he forced a tie at 8-8 in the pro-set match. MIT's Manuel Rivera held strong in the tie-break, but Lapidus came out on top [9-8 (10-8)]. Freshman Mitch Lance picked up Emerson's other win at No. 6 with his victory over fellow-freshman Michael Walsh of MIT.

The Engineers (3-0) hit the courts again on Thursday, February 25, when they host the Chargers of Colby-Sawyer College at 4:30 p.m. Emerson (0-1) has some time off before its next match against the Fighting Scots of Gordon College on Thursday, March 18.

Full Results

MIT 7 - EME 2

Doubles
1. K. Pang/L. Pang (MIT) def. A. Bellino/M. Jackman (EME); 8-2
2. K. Van Tilburg/M. Skalak (MIT) def. D. Lapidus/G. Mercer (EME); 8-1
3. T. Hamamsy/A. Cooper (MIT) def. K. Nikravesh/M. Field (EME); 8-2

Singles
1. Larry Pang (MIT) def. Allesandro Bellino (EME); 6-0, 6-2
2. Matthew Skalak (MIT) def. Mark Jackman (EME); 6-0, 6-1
3. Tymor Hamamsy (MIT) def. Ken Nikravesh (EME); 6-2, 6-3
4. Andrew Cooper (MIT) def. Garret Mercer (EME); 6-1, 6-2
5. Dan Lapidus (EME) def. Manuel Rivera (MIT); 9-8 (10-8)
6. Mitch Lance (EME) def. Michael Walsh (MIT); 8-5