Radcliffe Tennis Downs Tufts, Prepares for Yale Showdown

Radcliffe's tennis team lifted its undefeated record to 3-0 yesterday afternoon with a 5-0 whitewashing of Tufts at the Palmer-Dixon Courts, but the 'Cliffe players are already looking ahead to more important battles.

"We're already getting psyched for Saturday's match with Yale," Captain Lissa Muscatine said last night. "It's our biggest match of the year, our last home match of the year, and we don't want to lose."

In preparation for this weekend's showdown, Radcliffe had little trouble disposing of Tufts. Muscatine, playing number one, and Ginny St. Goar, number three, won their matches in straight sets, while second seed Denise Thal was leading her opponent 2-1 when the latter defaulted due to a twisted knee.

The 'Cliffe completed the shutout as the doubles teams of Rita Funaro with Suki Magraw and Maude Wood with Ann Koufman captured easy victories. The former triumphed, 10-0, in a pro set, while the latter took a straight set, 6-1, 6-1 win.

The team will now have three days to practice for the all-important showdown with the Elis. According to Muscatine, Radcliffe's fate rests with its performance in the doubles matches and with the play of the lower half of the ladder.

"If we can win the three doubles, then I think we can beat Yale," she said yesterday. "Also, we'll be relying on the lower part of the ladder, which is really strong. We'll need every point we can get."

Yale's strength lies in its top three performers. Senior Lisa Rosebaum hasn't lost an intercollegiate match in four years; she's perhaps the best female tennis player in the east. In the second and third slots, freshmen Sue Graham and Anne Seidler should provide plenty of competition for their Radcliffe opponents.

Radcliffe won last year's match by a 6-3 margin, and would like nothing better than to close out the home season by repeating that success. If, as Muscatine hopes, the 'Cliffe plays up to its potential, that repetition might just become a reality.