HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College men's tennis team doubled up No. 29 Franklin & Marshall by a 6-3 tally on the strength of five victories in singles play. With the victory, the Fords (12-2, 6-1 CC) have now clinched a top three seed in the conference tournament and can improve on that with their final two matches next week.
Haverford got its first point of the afternoon with the all-conference pairing of Luis Acaba and Harrison Elbert in the No. 1 doubles position. Acaba and Elbert made the quickest work of any of the three doubles matches as the Fords' No. 1 doubles team won by an 8-2 score. That pairing is now 8-2 together in the top position this spring.
The Diplomats claimed the middle doubles pairing with an 8-5 victory. Nevertheless, both Josh Moskovitz and Dais Nakayama both came back with wins in singles action. Franklin & Marshall took an early 2-1 lead as its No. 3 doubles team prevailed over Ishaan Prinz and Eli Phelps by a 9-7 score.
Haverford quickly regained the lead with wins in three of the first four matches to hit the courts. Moskovitz moved up to the No. 2 position and kept his unbeaten spring season alive with a 6-2, 7-6 (6) victory. He is now 11-0 during the spring. Nakayama won by a 6-4, 6-3 score to give Haverford another point.
Elbert prevailed in the only three-set match of singles play. He won the opening set by a 6-4 score, but was forced to play the decisive set after his opponent took the second by a 6-1 score. That decisive third set would be the closest of the afternoon. After splitting the first 12 games, Elbert won the tiebreak by a 7-4 score. Elbert is now 8-2 during the spring season in singles, including a 4-1 record against conference foes. The Diplomats' lone victory in singles came at the No. 1 position.
In the final matches to hit the courts, both Prinz and Zack Mason walked away with wins to both clinch and put an exclamation point on the Fords' victory. Playing at No. 5, Prinz won back-to-back 6-4 sets. He now has nine wins on the season and is 5-1 against conference competition. Mason recorded his 10th win of the season with his 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 6 singles.
Men's tennis will play its final home match of the regular season this Tuesday when Ursinus comes to campus. That match is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start. The Fords will close the season at first-place Swarthmore with a chance to share the regular season title on the line.