Harvard Tennis Teams Both Cruise To Easy Victories

In a match that the No. 16 Harvard men's tennis team played for charity, it showed Penn State non of it, sweeping the Nitanny Lions, 7-0.

The Crimson (7-0) was looking for a convincing win after last weekend's tough outing at the National Men's Team Indoor Championship in Seattle, where it went 1-2, losing to two top-ten teams by close margins. PENN STATE  0 HARVARD  7

The Crimson and the Lions (5-2) met at the Sportsmen's Tennis Club in Dorchester to draw attention to collegiate tennis and the center's tennis program, which provides free lessons to urban youth from diverse backgrounds.

The match began with doubles play. Sophomore James Blake and co-captain Kunj Majmudar, the No. 2 doubles team in the country, defeated Penn State's top doubles team of Eric Meditz and Marc Dorfman 8-6. Although the final outcome was close, Majmudar and Blake were comfortable throughout, shrugging off mistakes and winning comfortably with an effective serve-and-volley game.

The Crimson's No. 2 doubles team did not fare as well. Co-captain Michael Passarella and sophomore Scott Clark lost 8-6 to Penn State's Jeffrey Martini and Damon Accardi.

The No. 3 doubles team of juniors John Doran and Joe Green salvaged the doubles point, however, defeating Penn State's Mike Griesser and Mike McCallister, 8-5.

In singles, the Crimson men rearranged their lineup and came out a winner with the new formula. Majmudar, currently the No. 31 player in the country, sat out his usual number two singles position.

"I have been feeling pretty sick all week and just didn't make it down to practice," he said.

Clark also sat out the singles portion of the match.

Blake, the No. 1 player in the country, continued his strong play in his win over Griesser, 6-0, 6-3.

Blake, who had played at the Sportsmen's Club in his youth, peppered the helpless Griesser with a combination of strong serves and crushing ground-strokes. When Griesser finally won a game in the second set, he threw his hands in the air as both Crimson and Penn State fans cheered his short-term success.

Filling in for Majmudar at second singles, Doran won easily over Penn State's Dorfman, 6-4, 6-3. Although Doran struggled in the early part of the first set, he jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the second before winning easily in the ninth game.

Passarella had a tougher time. Playing one position higher than his usual No. 4 spot, Passarella dropped the first set, 4-6, but came back to win the last two sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) to defeat Eric Meditz.

After dropping his doubles match earlier in the day, Passarella seemed determined not to let the match slip away. Amid a chorus of grunts and screams Passarella proved victorious in a match that lasted nearly two hours.

Green moved from the number six singles position up to number four for Harvard and seemed to enjoy his new surroundings, defeating Martini, 7-5, 6-1.

After the usual starters had moved up into the positions left open by Majmudar and Clark, the number five and six positions were still open. Freshman William Lee took the number five position, and classmate Cillie Swart filled in at number six.

Though they were novices at the collegiate level, Lee and Swart did not seem at all nervous on the court.

Lee neatly put Penn State's Jamie Gresh away by a score of 6-4, 6-1. Swart's match against Penn's McCallister was a bit tougher. In the longest match of the day, Swart won, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

Although Blake posed for pictures with the many children who had come to the club to see him and his Crimson teammates, he was not the most famous tennis personality in attendance.

Tennis announcer Bud Collins took in most of the singles play and chatted with locals around the center. Collins has been a supporter of the Sportsmen's Club for over thirty years.

"I have been involved with the Club for some time, and I wanted to see Blake play," Collins said. "Whenever Harvard plays, I always take the time to get out and see them."

Although Blake was triumphant today, Collins claims he has a winning record against the phenom.

"I played James last year in a mixed doubles benefit, and I beat him 2-1," Collins said. "I can't let him forget that."

The Crimson, minus Collins, plays next at Old Dominion on March 13.