W. Tennis Beats BC

Everyone loves those last minute, down-to-the-wire, nail-biter matches in team tennis.

It comes down to the final match--the one that will decide a win or a loss, a title or a second-place finish, an assuring ego boost or a distressing fall. Most of the fans have gone home, the sun is setting, and the rest of the team is huddled courtside, watching intently.

The final outcome, it seems, is to be determined only by will-power, adrenaline, sheer fate.

But then again, those sure-fire early-clinched victories aren't so bad either.

Saturday, the Harvard women's tennis team decided to utilize the latter method to dispose of a talented Boston College squad, 6-3, at the Palmer-Dixon Indoor Courts.

The Crimson kick-started the match by sweeping the three doubles events and went on to capture two singles matches before BC could utter a loud Homer Simpson-like, "DOH!!"

"It was great to sweep the doubles," junior Co-Captain Eliza Parker said. "It really set the tone of the match."

Junior Co-Captain Melissa McNabb and freshman Kate Roiter represented Harvard at first doubles. The "gimps" (McNabb is nursing a stomach pull, while Roiter suffers from a shoulder injury) defeated BC's Hope McAndrew and Melissa Robbins, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.

At second doubles, sophomore Kendra Harris and freshman Kelly Granat seized a decisive 6-0, 6-0 win, and the team of Parker and sophomore Agata Passent took the third doubles match, 6-4, 6-2.

Despite the absence of Harvard's first and second singles players--Roiter and McNabb, who took it easy for the non league contest by competing in only the doubles event--the Crimson singles lineup proved its depth as well.

In a two and a half hour long contest, Parker outlasted Terrier Camila deWit, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, at second singles, while sophomores Kendra Harris and Agata Passent easily seized straight set victories at third and fifth.

"Everyone played two positions up today," McNabb said. "It proves how tough we are when everyone moves up and can play well."

And after a physically and emotionally draining loss to league rival Princeton Friday, the decisive win came just in time.

"It was a good confidence builder," Parker added. "I'd say that team morale is up."

"I'm really pleased with how we rebounded." Head Coach Gordon Graham said. "Everyone played well. This is the kind of tennis we need to play for the rest of the season."

NOTEBOOK: Correction--At the Princeton match, McNabb won her three-setter, while Kelly Granat lost hers, not vice versa.

Elsewhere in the league this weekend, Princeton previously unbeaten in Ivy play tell to Dartmouth, indicating that the Crimson's quest for a piece of the title is far from over...Harvard spent a total of fourteen draining hours at Palmer Dixon this weekend.

At this point, the Crimson must actually be relieved to get out and move on to Providence and New Haven this week.