A Tale of Two Harvard Tennis Teams...

Break out the Ace Bandages, Ben-Gay and Extra-Strength Tylenol this weekend, sports fans. The Harvard women's tennis team is going on the road to Yale.

Gearing up for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITCA) Regional Team Qualifier Tournament, the Crimson is still plagued with injuries, injuries, injuries. And injuries.

It's bad enough that the team has earned an all-expenses paid luxury weekend in New Haven, but Harvard isn't even sure who will be in the lineup.

In the world of Crimson women's tennis, word from the training room is more anticipated than the Second Coming. "We're simply waiting for daily reports," said Harvard Coach Gordon Graham last night. "Right now, we only know that Erika Elmuts and Agata Passent are definitely not competing."

Senior Elmuts suffers from a strained thigh muscle, from a strained thigh muscle, while Passent, a sophomore, is having troubles with a hamstring pull.

Both are recovering steadily thanks to rest and therapy, and Graham expects them to be back on the roster by next weekend.

The status of recent freshman sensation Kate Roiter is still up in the air.

In a tough first-singles match Tuesday against Boston University, Roiter pulled a stomach muscle. Although the continued to play, Roiter was in so much pain she was forced to serve underhand at one point during the third-set tie-break.

"The trainer told me to take a break from practice, but it's not serious," Roiter said.

The condition of previously side-lined Co-Captain Melissa McNabb is also questionable. "She's definitely in a recovery phase, and it looks very promising," Graham said. "She's getting better and better every day, but if she plays at all this weekend, it will only be doubles."

The status of Roiter and McNabb will be determined just a few hours before the team hits the road late this afternoon. "As usual, we'll be waiting to hear what the trainer has to say," Graham said.

Top Northeast Teams

The top eight teams from the Northeast region will be competing this weekend. The group includes Harvard, Boston University, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Pennsylvania, Brown and top-seeded Syracuse.

The Crimson's goal is to reach the finals of this weekend's draw. The next step would be the Regional Championship slated for October 16-18.

Graham has his long-term goals in perspective, however. Success in this tournament could earn the Crimson a favorable fall ranking, something Graham realistically calls "nice, but not the end-all, be-all."

Meanwhile, Harvard's primary concern should be to secure the health of its top players.

Or, they could track down Mr. Miyagi and hire him as their personal massage therapist.