Strong Cayugan Tennis Team Swats Varsity 7-2

The rains came too late. Under a lowering sky, the tennis team went down to its first league defeat yesterday against Cornell, 7 to 2. The Cayugans took all six singles matches and the first doubles match to stop cold the Crimson's five game winning streak.

Cornell's Dick Savitt and Leonard Steiner at one two court carry national titles, Savitt ranking twenty-sixth in the country and Steiner Junior doubles champ and singles runner-up. Savitt made fast work of Ted Backe in two quick, lopsided sets, Steve Pratt, who jumped from three to two court in inter-team competition last week, gave Steiner more trouble, taking the first round, and losing the next two by close scores.

Doubles were the only vanity of the Crimson going into the match, and the vanity was justified. Individually, Cornell made the Varsity look mediocre, but in the doubles that followed, the Crimson took two out of three matches.

The summary:

Singles: Backe lost to Savitt, 6-1, 6-1: Pratt lost to Steiner 4-6, 6-1, 6-2; Brandt lost to Young 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Wightman lost to Penn 6-2, 6-3; Ager lost to Riihiluoma 6-3, 7-5; Bullard lost to Goldstein 6-3, 7-5; Bullard lost to Goldstein 6-3, 6-0. Doubles: Backe and Brandt lost to Savitt and Steiner 6-0, 6-4; Pratt and Wightman defeated Riihiluoma and Goldstein 6-4, 6-2; Bullard and Ager defeated Gardiner and Kennedy 6-1, 7-5.

If history and pre-game statistics mean anything, the Crimson will beat Pennsylvania on Soldiers Field this afternoon. The Quakers lost to Yale yesterday in New Haven 5 to 1, with the three doubles matches rained-out, and, pending the machinations of the weatherman, they should receive a similar pounding this afternoon.