Men’s tennis team faces light competition on Florida intersession trip

The Harvard men’s tennis team traveled to southern Florida over break for a combination of sunshine, training and light competition.

The Crimson faced two other teams—the University of South Florida and Embry Riddle—in what co-captain Jonathan Chu called “our own little preseason.”

Incidentally, Harvard senior Martin Wetzel began his collegiate career with the Bulls of South Florida before moving up the east coast to Cambridge.

The number of competing schools alone precluded a dual meet, but even so, Harvard was not looking for stiff competition. Rather, Crimson coach Dave Fish ’72 indicated that he wanted his players to experiment, relax, recharge—and most of all, he wanted to give all 11 of his traveling players some valuable match experience.

“We were happy to get a lot of our younger guys into competitive situations,” Chu said, pointing to Dan Nguyen in particular. The freshman had been hampered by injury in the fall, but he turned in a strong showing in balmy Florida.

“It’s nice to know that the younger guys are ready to step into the lineup,” Chu said, remarking that the continuous danger of injury to any player necessitates a lineup with plenty of depth.

The co-captain said that Harvard put together “new teams” and “mixed and matched,” experimenting against the other school’s lineups.

“Plus,” he added, “it was 75 degrees here, and we got to enjoy the benefits of that.”