SWARTHMORE, PA - Harford men's tennis kicked off their season last Saturday with a challenging match against Swarthmore College, a historically strong program from Pennsylvania. The Fighting Owls put up a fierce fight, with several matches going down to the wire, but ultimately fell 5-2 in a highly competitive contest.

Leading the charge for Harford were Tom Zimpel (Zschorlau, Saxony, Germany) and Lucas Fox (Kanwal, New South Wales, Australia), both of whom delivered clutch performances in their singles matches. Each player displayed remarkable resilience and mental toughness, winning their respective matches in dramatic final-set tiebreakers.

Zimpel fought through long rallies and high-pressure moments to grind out a victory, while Fox showcased his powerful baseline game and precision shot-making to edge out his opponent in a nail-biting finish.

In doubles play, Zimpel and Fox teamed up in an intense battle but came up just short in another tiebreaker, narrowly missing out on what could have been a key momentum swing for the Fighting Owls. Despite the setback, their chemistry and aggressive net play showed promise for future matches.

Adrian Weisser (Salzburg, Salzburg Bundesland, Austria) and Tristan Duval (Lyon, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, France) also turned in strong performances, pushing their opponents to the limit and keeping Harford competitive throughout the afternoon. While they weren't able to secure wins, their effort and determination set a strong foundation for the season ahead.

Overall, the Fighting Owls demonstrated that they can compete at a high level against top-tier programs.

"All things considered, It was a strong showing in their first match," head coach Kevin Shaner said. "There's much more tennis left to be played [this season]."