BILL STANLEY

WHEN FRESHMAN Bill Stanley gave up competitive swimming for tennis seven years ago, he hardly expected to find himself eventually ranked 11th in the world in the 18-and-under division.

But Stanley, whose current domain is the number two spot on the Harvard men's varsity team, explains his success quite easily. "Everything I do, I have to do well," says Stanley, who achieved the world ranking at the end of last year.

"Bill is an extremely intense competitor," adds Harvard Coach Dave Fish. "He creates some real electricity on the court; he's exciting to watch."

Undefeated in Eastern Conference dual meets this spring, the Rye, N.Y. active was recently invited to the United States Olympic team's tryout, to be held later this month.

But international competition isn't unusual for Stanley, who last year played on the 12-and-under World Junior circuit--a tour that included stops at the Junior Italian Open, the Junior Italian Open, the Junior Wimbledon championships, and the Junior U.S. Open.

"Billy is the kind of player who enters the Ivy League every so often, with a lot of experience," Fish says affectionately, adding that the last freshman to play as high as number two entered Harvard in the fall of 1979.

"Bill has been a great asset this year because we lost a couple of our top players to graduation last year," explains sophomore Larry Scott, the squad's top-ranked player.

Ironically, both Scott and Stanley grew up in the same area of New York and played in the same tournaments during their high school years. "We're fierce competitors on the court and great friends off." Scott adds.

Stanley, who graduated from high school a semester early to play on the Junior circuit, cities his parents' study support for his success. Stanley adds the Fish is, like his parents, "low buy--he lets one me myself."

"Bill has got dogged discrimination." Fish says, adding that both Stanley and Scott and good bets to earn bids to the NCAA championship later this month.