Netmen Play Ungracious Hosts to Temple, 7-2

The visitors from the City of Brotherly Love surely must have been disappointed with the inhospitable reception they received at Harvard yesterday.

The Harvard men's tennis team toppled Temple, 7-2, at the Palmer Dixon Courts, winning five of the six singles matches. With several of the Crimson's top players--Jon Cardi, Mike Zimmerman and Mike Shyjan--out with injuries, the decisive victory illustrates the young team's depth.

Playing at number one, junior Roger Berry defeated Joe Lizardo in straight sets, 7-5, 7-6. Freshman Derek Brown had even fewer problems than Berry, dispatching Terry Godman, 6-2, 6-2.

"I feel like I served and returned well today," Brown said. "He has a really big serve, and my return really took that advantage away from him."

Although he dropped the first set, 6-1, freshman Albert Chang bounced back to win the second and third sets, 6-1, 6-3, over Dave Astorino.

"I really dug myself into a hole early, and by the time [Harvard Coach] Dave [Fish] came over to talk to me, it was too late for the first set," Chang said. "But everything [he and Assistant Coach Steve Gerstenfeld] told me worked. Things just came together in the second set."

Chang then teamed with junior Robi Soni to take the number-two doubles match against Astorino and Kyle Hawthrone, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1. Both teams stayed on serve throughout the first set. The Temple duo went up a minibreak in the tiebreaker, but a crosscourt forehand winner from Soni kept Harvard in the set. Soni then took advantage of a second serve opportunity at 6-5 to clinch the tiebreaker and the set.

"After we won the first set which was so close, I thought [Astorino and Hawthrone] had a mental letdown, Soni said.

Soni easily won his singles match as well, overpowering Mark Orisycavech, 6-2, 6-1. Although his net play was instrumental in the victory, Soni relied on solid groundstrokes to outlast the steady Orisycavech.

Berry and John Tolmie lost a close match to Godman and Rich Lees. They dropped the first set but took the second, with both tiebreakers going to 7-5. In the tense third set the advantage swung back and forth, as both teams had trouble holding serve, but Godman and Lees hung on to win, 7-5. Crimson, 7-2 at Palmer Dixes Tennis Center

Singles Matches

Number-one

Roger Berry (HARVARD) d. Joe Lizardo (Temple), 7-5, 7-6

Number-two

Derek Brown (HARVARD) d. Terry Godman (Temple), 6-2, 6-2

Number-three

Albert Chang (HARVARD) d. Dave Astorino (Temple), 1-6, 6-1, 6-3

Number-four

Robi Soni (HARVARD) d. Mark Orisycavech (Temple), 6-2, 6-1

Number-five

R.J. Harr (Temple) d. John Tolmie (HARVARD), 6-2, 6-1

Number-six

Leon Palandjian (HARVARD) d. Rich Lees (Temple), 6-3, 6-2

Doubles Matches

Number-one

Godman and Lees (Temple) d. Berry and Tolmie (HARVARD), 7-6, 6-7, 7-5

Number-two

Chang and Soni (HARVARD) d. Astorino and Kyle Hawthrone (Temple), 7-6, 6-1

Number-three

Brown and Palandjian (HARVARD) d. Lizardo and R.J. Harr (Temple), 7-5, 7-6