Netmen Settle Kentucky Feud After Losing Tennessee Tussle

The Harvard men's tennis team went south over the weekend for dual meets against Tennessee and Kentucky. The Crimson, now 7-4, fell to Tennessee on Saturday, 7-2, but came back to take a 5-4 decision over Kentucky yesterday.

In losing to the Volunteers, the Crimson might have been at a disadvantage.

"It took us a little while to get a week of writing papers out of our system," Coach Dave Fish said.

The Crimson took only one of six singles matches against Tennessee.

Darryl Laddin, coming back from an ankle injury suffered two weeks ago during the Crimson's spring break tournament trip, scored the lone singles victory, defeating the Vols' Mark Harrington, 7-5, 6-4, at fourth singles.

Arkie Engle and Paul Palandjian put in strong efforts at fifth and sixth singles, respectively, but fell in three-set matches.

At first doubles, Engle and Co-Captain Larry Scott had an impressive win. They defeated Shelby Cannon and Byron Talbot, who form the 11th ranked doubles team in the nation, in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5.

On the whole, the team was not particularly satisfied with its effort on Saturday. "We didn't particularly distinguish ourselves that match," said Fish.

Bluegrass Bound

Yesterday, however, Harvard came back to avenge its March 30 defeat at the hands of Kentucky in the Blue-Gray Championships.

The Crimson split its singles matches, winning at the top three positions.

Larry Scott, who had a tough time during the spring break trip, won 6-2, 7-6, at number one over the Wildcats' Pat McGee.

"Larry has been in a little bit of a slump," said Fish. "He really seem to go after it today."

Harvard's Bill Stanley defeated Steve Denny at second singles in a tight three-setter, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Peter Palandjian saved three third-set match points in defeating Kentucky's David Keevian, 3-6, 6-5, 7-5. Without his comeback, the Crimson would have needed to sweep all three doubles matches to take the team win.

Instead, after Paul Palandjian and Stanley combined for a win at third doubles, Scott and Engle clinched the win with a straight set win at first doubles over McGee and Denny, 6-3, 6-3.

The Crimson plays its first Ivy League matches this weekend, facing Penn and Columbia in away matches. The Columbia match should be the Crimson's toughest Ivy match this year, and will take place on indoor clay courts in Manhattan.

It will be the netmen's only clay court match of the season. The Crimson was upset two years ago on clay by the Lions, in a match that decided the Eastern Intercollegiate Tennis Association Championship.

The Lions will be hungry for the favored Crimson again.

"That's somewhat of a showdown," said Fish. "We've got the ability to handle it."