PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania men's tennis team began the ECAC championship with a 4-0 win over Yale.  The Quakers move on to the semifinals where they will meet top-seeded Dartmouth who received a bye. Penn improved to 7-0 in matches played at Hecht Tennis Center this season. 

How it Happened

A rematch of last year's ECAC opener, the Quakers began the championships against The Big Red. Penn lost to Cornell to open last year's ECAC championship, 4-2. The Red and Blue went on to defeat Cornell, 4-3, in the Ivy League season. 

Like in the second meeting between these two teams last year, the Quakers began the match strong by taking the extremely important doubles point. Penn's number one team, Kyle Mautner and Dmitry Shatalin led off with a, 6-2, win. Max Cancilla and Aleks Huryn followed suit with a, 6-4, win of their own at number three to clinch the doubles point. 

In singles, the Quakers performed just as well. Dmitry Shatalin started things off with a straight sets, 6-4, 6-1 win. Edoardo Graziani put Penn up, 3-0, winning 6-4, 6-2. Kyle Mautner then clinched the match for the Red and Blue. The senior edged out a close first set, 7-5, before running away with the second, 6-1. 

What's Next

The Quakers will play the top-seeded Dartmouth, Saturday at noon. Dartmouth received a bye into the second round. Penn lost to Dartmouth in the final weekend of last season, 4-0. 

Full Results
Doubles
1. Mautner/Shatalin (PENN) d. Hansen/Jafer (COR) - 6-2
2. Graziani/Zhu (PENN) vs. Kazakov/McAllister - 5-4, unfinished
3. Cancilla/Huryn (PENN) d. Rimondini/Vasa - 6-4

Singles
1. Kyle Mautner (PENN) d. Lev Kazakov (COR) - 7-5, 6-1
2. Edoardo Graziani (PENN) d. Daniel Soyfer (COR) - 6-4, 6-2
3. Kevin Zhu (PENN) vs. Evan Dynde (COR) - 7-6 (3), 3-6
4. Dmitry Shatalin (PENN) d. Pietro Rimondini (COR - 6-4, 6-1
5. Noah Makarome (PENN) vs. Jack Hansen (COR) - 7-5, 1-1
6. Jason Hildebrandt (PENN vs. Joe McAllister (COR) - 1-6, 4-3