IU's road roes continue

On Saturday, the No. 68 IU men’s tennis team traveled to Cambridge, Mass., to compete against No. 23 Harvard. The Hoosiers were in search of their first win away from home while the Crimson was hoping to earn its first home victory.

Harvard succeeded in beating the Hoosiers, 4-3. Freshman Sam Monette and senior Isade Juneau got IU off to a good start in doubles action by defeating the Harvard duo of Casey MacMaster and Denis Nguyen 8-5. However, the Crimson won the last two doubles competitions, allowing them to walk away with the point.

Junior Dimitrije Tasic was the first to compete in the singles competition for the Hoosiers, and he fell to Harvard’s Andy Nguyen in consecutive sets. Monette was the first to score points for IU as he knocked off Shaun Chaudhuri in two sets, putting the Hoosiers within one point. Senior Josh MacTaggart tied the match at two when he defeated Harvard’s Alex Steinroder in a two-set match at number three singles.

Once the Hoosiers rallied back to tie the match after a two point deficit, Harvard responded with a couple of singles victories of its own. Harvard’s Denis Nguyen beat Juneau in three sets, giving the Crimson a one-point advantage.

Although freshman Eliiot Yee was able to win the last match of the competition at number six singles, Harvard had already clinched the victory by winning its fourth point at No. 5 singles. Freshman Daniel Bednarczyk battled in a three-set match against Nicky Hu, but could not close out the victory.

After winning five consecutive home competitions, the 6-7 Hoosiers have now lost two consecutive matches. They continue to struggle on the road, as they have two more away competitions left in their four-match stretch. IU has proven that it can win at home; all six of its victories come directly from its backyard.

The problem the team has faced this season is winning on other teams’ courts, as well as neutral sites. The Hoosiers have a combined record of 0-5 when it comes to competing at away and neutral sites.

The Hoosiers will have another chance to redeem themselves on Wednesday in Louisville, Ky., where they will compete against the Louisville Cardinals. The No. 42 Cardinals have yet to lose at home this season and have an unblemished 5-0 home record. Competition will start at 4 p.m. at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center.