Though Dartmouth tennis had not played a competitive match in Hanover since Sept. 19, the Big Green men could not have felt more at home, dominating the likes of Hartford, Manhattan, Buffalo, Marist and Harvard over last weekend's Big Green Invitational.
Dartmouth's top singles player, co-captain David Webb '05, had little trouble reaching the finals of the A singles bracket, rolling over Patrick Flint of Hartford, Alon Cohen of Manhattan and Buffalo's Mike Rockman. On the other side of bracket, Jeff Schechtman '08 found similar success. After taking out his share of the field, the freshman stood face-to-face with Webb.
Old lion against young lion, wily veteran against talented up-and-comer, the battle between Webb and Schechtman had tennis fans across New Hampshire harking back to the 1975 Wimbledon final between Jimmy Connors and Arthur Ashe. And much like that fabled battle 30 years prior, the elder competitor won easily. Armed with a combination of experience and skill, Webb defeated his teammate 6-1, 6-4.
Schechtman's aspirations for a doubles title also ended in a finals loss. Paired with Mark Brodie '07, the Big Green doubles team slugged its way to a finals match against Marist College's Pedro Genovese and Leo Rodriguez. Genovese and Rodriguez, who had knocked off sophomore Steven McGaughey and David Waslen in the semifinals, continued to haunt Dartmouth, beating Schechtman and Brodie 8-5.
The Big Green Invitational marked the team's final tournament before it kicks off its winter season Feb. 5, 2005 at Furman. However, do not despair too deeply, Dartmouth fans. The men and women of Big Green tennis will make a special appearance this Sunday for the program's annual pro-am event.
