Men's Tennis Locks Up Postseason Bid with 8-1 Win at Dickinson

Dais Nakayama (left) and Josh Moskovitz (right)
Dais Nakayama (left) and Josh Moskovitz (right)

CARLISLE, Pa. – The Haverford College men's tennis team officially clinched its spot in the Centennial Conference Tournament with an 8-1 victory at Dickinson on Saturday. The Fords (9-7, 6-1 CC) claimed all three doubles points and five of the six singles matches without dropping a set to lock down the team's seventh straight postseason appearance and its 11th trip in the past 12 years.

In doubles, Kevin Yan and Nick Sweeney teamed up for the first time all season. However, that duo needed no time to build a winning bond as it cruised to an 8-2 win at No. 2 doubles. Rob Kresch and Arnav Patodia followed that up by rolling to their sixth straight win together this spring. An 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles makes the pairing 9-1 on the year with a perfect 4-0 mark against Centennial Conference opposition.

The No. 14-ranked doubles team in the Atlantic South Region, Josh Moskovitz and Dais Nakayama, completed the sweep of doubles with their 8-6 victory in the top doubles match. Haverford's No. 1 pairing now has seven wins together this spring, including a 4-2 mark in conference action.

Regionally-ranked in singles as well, Moskovitz improved to 4-2 in conference singles matches with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles. Moskovitz's win was his ninth of the year. Nakayama won eight of the 11 games contested in his match at No. 2 singles before his opponent was forced to retire down 2-1 in the second set. The Fords' co-captain now has seven wins in singles this spring. Yan won by a 6-2, 6-4 score at No. 3 singles. He now has eight singles wins and sports a 4-1 record in conference action.

Kresch and Patodia gave Haverford five different players who accounted for wins in both singles and doubles. Patodia allowed just one game during the opening set to his opponent in a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 6. Kresch was a 6-2, 6-1 winner at No. 5 singles. Both Kresch and Patodia are now a perfect 2-0 in their appearances in the singles lineup during conference play. Dickinson's lone team point came at No. 4 singles where Sweeney forced a 10-point tiebreak with a 6-3 win during his second set before coming up just short.

Men's tennis will return home for its final two matches of the regular season this week. Haverford will take on No. 27 Swarthmore Tuesday with first serves scheduled for 4 p.m. The Fords will also host Gettysburg on Saturday to close the regular season with a 12 p.m. start. A win in either of those matches guarantees Haverford a bye in the first round of the Centennial Conference Tournament.