PHILADELPHIA - The University of Pennsylvania men's tennis team (3-3) opens its ECAC Tournament title defense this weekend, as they travel to Ithaca, N.Y. and host Cornell University for a weekend of elite tennis. The Quakers will kick off the tournament as the #5 seed and face off against the #4 seed Princeton (5-2).
 
Previewing Penn
Following a shutout loss to #12 Baylor, the Quakers are looking to bounce back as they have done several times this season against their Ivy League rival Tigers. They will attempt to do so at the ECAC Tournament, which they won in a thrilling weekend last season for the first time since 2006-07.

In last season's matchup against the Tigers, Dmitry Shatalin delivered one of the two points for the Quakers, while also winning a doubles match with partner Kevin Zhu. His play will be critical as the only senior in the top six in singles, with a great deal of experience under his belt. Four of the six singles matches with Princeton last season went the distance, setting up a possibly thrilling match from start to finish.

Freshman Harsh Parikh will also look to build off a strong effort against one of the best in the nation. Parikh took the #82 player in the nation from Baylor down to the wire, winning the first set and losing a third set tiebreaker 11-9. Right out of the gate, Parikh and fellow freshman Aditya Gupta have been thrust into the spotlight and are performing, easing the depth of the Quakers lineup.
 
Penn vs. Princeton – Friday, 9 a.m.
Series Information
All-time series: Penn trails 92-16-2 | Last meeting: March 30, 2019 (Princeton, 5-2)
 
The Tigers and Quakers will clash in the ECAC Tournament for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Entering the match, the Tigers snapped a two-game skid with a big 6-1 victory over Charlotte. So far this season, the Tigers have beaten Wisconsin, Marquette and came within a point of beating Clemson. The Tigers also feature one of the best doubles lineups in the country, led by the current #8 duo of Payton Holden/Ryan Seggerman and #40 Justin Barki/Thomas Bosancic. Holden/Seggerman already defeated Max Cancilla/Edoardo Graziani at the ITA Northeast Regional, but Jason Hildebrandt and Kevin Zhu each recorded singles victories over Damian Rodriguez and Will Peters at that same event. Both teams should be very evenly matched heading into this classic Ivy League rivalry.
 
Tournament Information
Seven teams representing the Ivy League will be playing in the ECAC Tournament this year, with #1 seed and #25 in the country Harvard receiving a bye. Should the Quakers win, they would meet Harvard on Saturday February 15 in the ECAC semifinals. Should the Quakers lose, they will skip the consolation semifinals and await a final opponent in the consolation finals on Sunday, February 16.