Eastern men’s and women’s tennis teams are eager to get a win this weekend because of some recent tight matches that ended in losses for both teams.

The men suffered their first loss of the season two weeks ago to Indiana State 5-2 and last weekend’s match was canceled.

“We would have preferred to play because it is not necessarily a good thing to go 14 days without a match but now we are more than ready to erase that bad taste in our mouth,” head coach John Blackburn said.

Blackburn said after the loss to Indiana State the men needed to work on doubles because the pairs had been switched before that match.

With almost two weeks now to prepare, Blackburn said the men’s doubles teams should be ready.

Senior Chuck Levaque said he doesn’t think missing a match has a negative effect because they still have intense practices, where they have match play at least half the time.

Sophomore Vuk Milicevic agreed the cancellation would not be bad for the team.

“It wasn’t the worse thing in the world having the weekend off, especially coming off of a loss,” Milicevic said. “We got to sit down, recharge our batteries and think about what we did right and what we did wrong.”

Milicevic said the loss and the weekend off allows them to go into this weekend more fresh and hungry for a win.

The men will play University of Indianapolis in Champaign on Saturday and Illinois State in Normal on Sunday.

Indianapolis, a Division II school, has lost five matches in a row and is 2-5 on the season.

Illinois State looks a bit more promising with their 5-3 record.

“On paper they look like one of the toughest teams we will face all year,” Blackburn said.

Eastern’s women have lost three matches total this season, all 4-3, and the last two came one after another.

The Panthers lost to Northern Illinois two weeks ago and then at Northern Iowa last weekend.

Junior Sandra Sasidharan said although two losses in a row can be frustrating, she knows they played well against some tough teams.

“We don’t feel really low,” Sasidharan said. “I think it will help bring us back more so than bring us down.”

Just like the men, Blackburn said, the women also need to work on getting the doubles point because that is a way to start the match off on the right foot.

“If we do well in the doubles matches, which come first, we can carry that momentum with us into the singles,” Blackburn said.

The Panthers will play Indiana-Purdue-Indianapolis (4-2) on Saturday.

Eastern faced them earlier in the fall and Blackburn said IUPUI matched them point for point.