After the Harvard men's tennis team dropped a 4-3 decision to Columbia on April 7, it knew it would have to stay almost perfect the rest of the way to win the Ivy League title. The Crimson proceeded to win three straight Ivy League matches, including an important win over a tough Princeton squad.
So when the team traveled to Brown on Friday, it might have seemed as if the hardest challenge had passed. Instead, the Bears (12-11, 4-3 Ivy League) upset the Crimson in a closely contested 4-3 match. The loss ended Harvard's chance to defend its Ivy League title and also eliminates the chance for a NCAA tournament appearance.
On Saturday, Harvard returned home and promptly squashed Yale, 6-1. The Elis had no chance as the Crimson played tough from top to bottom.
Harvard 6, Yale 1
Harvard started off strong by sweeping the doubles matches. A healthy Mike Rich teamed up with junior Anthony Barker to score first for Harvard, winning 8-5 at No. 3 over Daren Plookhoy and Ryan Coyle. Co-captain Joe Green and freshman Dave Lingman then clinched the doubles point with an 8-6 defeat of Scott Mayo and Greg Royce at No. 2. Sophomore Cillie Swart and co-captain John Doran sealed the sweep with a win at No. 1, beating Scott Carleton and Chris Shackleton, 8-6.
Harvard continued its dominance in the singles. Green put the first singles point on the board at No. 3, taking out Shackleton in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. Doran, the Crimson's top seed, easily beat Carleton, 6-1, 6-2. The clincher came at No. 4, when Barker easily dispatched Ryan Smith, 6-1, 6-4. Swart lost at No. 6, 7-6 (8), 6-1 to Kevin Park, but the Crimson picked up wins at Nos. 2 and 5 for a final score of 6-1.
"We had a point to prove," Doran said. Harvard coach Dave Fish '72 also agreed that the match was an important win.
Read more in Sports
Baseball Loses Fifth StraightRecommended Articles
-
M. Tennis Takes Fifth at Blue/Gray ClassicThe Harvard men's tennis team had little trouble making the transition onto the outdoor courts this weekend for the 1999
-
M. Tennis Falls to Baylor in NCAA Second RoundAfter winning its first round match against Notre Dame on Saturday, the Harvard men's tennis team lost to Baylor yesterday
-
M. Tennis Edges Cowboys; W. Tennis WinsLast week, the Duke Blue Devils lost to the Maryland Terrapins at home, ending its two-year home winning streak. Too
-
M. Tennis Loses Two on RoadRural Kentucky is the home of bluegrass music, a mix of blues and country. Fittingly, the Harvard men's tennis team
-
Little Sunshine in California for CrimsonAh, the warm sun, the gentle breeze, the beautiful climate of California during spring break could make anyone, even a
-
M Tennis Sweeps At New HomeNew home, same old home winning streak. Yesterday afternoon Harvard officially dedicated the Robert M. Beren Tennis Center, the new
