Despite First Loss, Crimson Gets Consolation Crown

The Crimson bounced back at the Hilton Mission Valley Spring Classic this weekend in San Diego, Calif., to earn the championship in the consolation bracket.

Harvard (9-7) fell to East Tennessee State (10-6) in the first round of the tournament but then rebounded in consolation play with a 6-1 victory over University of Alabama-Birmingham (4-7) and a 4-3 win over the University of Denver (3-10).

“[Playing against East Tennessee] was a good chance for us to see high-level, patient tennis on a slow hard court,” said Harvard assistant coach Andrew Rueb. “We learned a lot of from that match and used what we learned in the next two matches. We were better at building points and waiting for the right opportunities.”

HARVARD 4, DENVER 3

Harvard wrapped up its second win of the weekend to take the consolation championship. The Crimson quickly moved ahead of the Pioneers by earning the doubles point. The duos of captain Aba Omodele-Lucien-freshman Casey MacMaster and junior Ali Felton-sophomore Andy Nguyen both won their matches

In the singles, the bottom of the lineup was key for Harvard, with the No. 3, No. 5, and No. 6 players each pulling out victories.

Sophomore Josh Tchan earned his second win of the weekend by double bageling his opponent, Angel Alvarez.

“I definitely had a change of strategy against my opponent,” Tchan said. “I think, strategically, I was just playing a lot smarter. I didn’t necessarily overpower him. I just strategically placed my shots well, and then, when the opportunity presented itself to win the point, I took it.”

Omodele-Lucien also toughed out another crucial victory for the Crimson. He rolled through two sets, 6-4, 6-2, against Jens Vorkefeld, for Harvard’s third point of the matchup

MacMaster was the only other player who was able to win for the squad. The victory did not come as easily, but he prevailed, 6-4, in the third set over Alex Clinkenbeard to earn the final point for the Crimson.

HARVARD 6, UAB 1

A day after losing five singles matches in the first round of the tournament, Harvard turned things around to display the same type of dominance over the Blazers.

The Crimson got off to a quick start by winning two of the three doubles matches to earn the first point. Felton and Nguyen cruised through their match, 8-2, over opponents Lucas Dirube and Daniel Moser, while Pearlman and Tchan toughed out an 8-6 victory against Chris Helliar and Danny Manlow.

Harvard continued its command of the matchup in the singles portion of the encounter. Five of the six players won their matches, three doing so in straight sets.

Pearlman won a tight first set, 6-4, against David Zimmerman, but then bageled his opponent in the second. MacMaster won his match in similar form, dropping just six games in two sets.

Playing at the No. 2 position, Felton came out victorious in two tie-break sets, taking the first, 7-3, and the second, 7-5. Nguyen also managed to pull out the victory in tie-break fashion, this time in the third set after he and Tom Puetz split the first two.

ETSU 5, HARVARD 2

The Crimson jumped out to an early lead with the doubles point, but things took a turn for the worse when the squad dropped five of its six singles matches.

In the doubles, the pairs of MacMaster-Omodele-Lucien and Pearlman-Tchan secured the point for Harvard, 8-4 and 8-6, respectively. Felton and Nguyen dropped a close matchup against Jesus Bandres and Sander Gille, 8-6.

Tchan was the lone Crimson player to earn a point for the squad in the singles. His opponent trounced Tchan in the first set, 6-1, but Tchan came back in the second to even the match at one set apiece.

“[After the first set], I saw that everyone was just putting their heart out and I asked myself if I was doing the same thing, and clearly I wasn’t,” Tchan said. “I went into the second set…and just promised myself that I would battle like the rest of my teammates.”

Tchan used the momentum from winning the middle set to battle back and win the third, 10-6.

Felton was the only other Crimson member to snatch a set from his opponent, with four of the six players losing in straights sets.

Felton won the first set in a tie-break, but then lost the next two sets, 6-3 and 6-4.

Omodele-Lucien dropped a tight matchup to Bandres, 7-6, 6-3. At the No. 1 position, Pearlman lost his second straight match, 7-5, 6-2. Nguyen and MacMaster also lost their matches in straights.

—Staff writer Steven T. A. Roach can be reached at sroach@fas.harvard.edu.