Close Match Goes Harvard's Way

When Christo Schultz converted his second chance at match point, a tired Harvard squad breathed a sigh of relief.

The freshman’s victory, which gave the Crimson men’s tennis team its fourth point of the day, tilted the outcome just enough in Harvard’s favor, helping the Crimson (6-4) defeat a struggling Radford (2-6) squad by a score of 4-3.

“It had the ragged quality of a midweek match,” head coach Dave Fish ‘72 said. “We had some guys who were frayed at the edges today and it showed.”

“We played well, but the energy wasn’t there,” freshman Andy Nguyen added. “We could have been more energetic, supporting each other.”

The action started off well for Harvard, as Schultz and junior Aba Omodele-Lucien teamed up to win the first doubles match, 8-5.

Moments later, sophomore Alistair Felton and Nguyen put the final touch on an 8-4 victory of their own, securing another doubles point for the Crimson.

The Highlanders saved themselves from a sweep in the final doubles match, defeating freshman Joshua Tchan and junior Alexei Chijoff-Evans, 8-6.

But while the singles players were warming up with their opponents, fire alarms began to sound.

After the players evacuated, a chilly 15-minute wait ensued while the Harvard University police checked the building. Singles play then resumed after the alarms were turned off,

Omodele-Lucien, playing lower on the ladder than usual, was the first to finish, steamrolling his opponent, 6-2, 6-2, at the No. 4 spot.

“Aba got a breather,” Fish said of the lineup change. “He’s lost a few matches. It’s going to take him a little while to get that confidence back again.”

The next to end was the No. 1 match, which was commandeered by Radford junior Ivan Salec. A heavy server who is 5-4 on the season, Salec crushed Chijoff-Evans, 6-2, 6-3.

“At the number one spot, if you don’t have your best day, or bring your best energy, you’ll lose,” assistant coach Andrew Rueb said. “We knew [Salec] was a very good player.”

“Alexei was just not ready for that kind of challenge today,” Fish added. “The guy just jumped on him.”

With the quick matches completed and the Crimson up 2-1, the remaining players on both sides picked up the intensity.

Next to fall was freshman Joshua Tchan at No. 5, who was defeated, 6-3, 6-2.

“Josh was just not fully there today,” Fish said. “He’s played some dynamite tennis.”

Of the three matches remaining, each came down to the third set.

Finally, after long battles, freshmen Nguyen and Schultz clinched the victory for Harvard with wins in each of their matches.

“I was very impressed with Andy stepping in and moving up,” Fish said. “[He was] playing a really good player.”

Nguyen, playing a surprisingly high No. 2, won 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.

The rookie had not played higher than No. 4 this season. Fish explained the change as a way to boost Nguyen’s confidence.

“Our team has been dead even [in skill] from No. 2 to No. 8,” Fish said. “All the guys have been playing really well.”

After losing a tough second-set tiebreaker, Nguyen needed something to boost his spirits.

“In the third set, this one guy started cheering, and I started playing better,” Nguyen said. “Just getting [my] energy pumped up and back on track.”

Schultz, at No. 6, rebounded from a 3-6 loss in the first set, winning 6-3, 6-2, in the next two sets to secure the victory for his team.

“Christo played a great match,” Fish said. “He got a little amped up in the first set—he’s got so much energy—its all pouring out in 10 directions. Very solid performance after that.”

In the last and longest match of the day, No. 3 Felton lost in three sets.

The victory was Harvard’s third in a row at home, a streak it hopes to continue against St. John’s this afternoon.

—Staff writer Charlie Cabot can be reached at ccabot@college.harvard.edu.