The Harvard tennis team, setting sites on a second-place perch in Eastern intercollegiate rankings, powered past a well-trained Dartmouth squad, 7-2, last Saturday.

A driving rain forced the teams onto Dartmouth's slow, indoor clay surfaces, temporarily throwing off the Crimson's rhythm, according to team coach Jack Barnaby. The team came back from disadvantages in several matches, however, to dominate the meet.

Harvard's leading singles and doubles players dropped their matches largely because of trouble adjusting to the slow-paced indoor play. Gary Reiner, playing below his usual performance, went down 6-1, 6-4 and the Big Green's highly reputed first doubles team slightly outplayed Tom Loring and Randy Barnett, 7-6, 6-4, in what Barnaby called a brilliant doubles match on both sides.

While Dartmouth's three doubles teams had excellent performances, Harvard had clear advantages in all but the first singles match. Number two man Ken Lindner, coming back from an early slump in the second set, won a demanding match, 7-5, 7-6. John Ingard, Loring, Barnett and Chip Baird filled out the singles victory column.

Lindner and Gary Rowbotham overcame a skillful second doubles challenge, 7-5, 7-5, and Reiner and Ingard netted a 6-3, 7-5 win in the third doubles contest.

The victory spotlighted Harvard's convincing team depth--a factor which could launch the Crimson into the Eastern intercollegiate limelight at this weekend's invitational at Williams.

The following week, Harvard will meet Princeton on the Crimson's home courts to contend for the number two league spot. Asked if he plans any crucial changes in Harvard's training for Princeton, Barnaby said, "We won't do anything crucial. We'll just have to win."