Racquetmen Look to Hook Tigers Tomorrow

Tomorrow's tennis match with Princeton is the big one, the winner takes the Ivy League laurels for second place behind untouchable and undefeated Columbia. And the strategy for catching the big one: get it on the hook early and don't let go.

Against Navy, Princeton got hooked early and lost the first sets in 5 singles matches before a 30-minute downpour intervened. "We stunk so bad it was like New York City had been on a garbage strike for 400 years," Tiger coach Bill Summers told The Daily Princetonian last weekend.

Evidently the rain did something good for the Tiger racquetmen and they slipped off the hook to defeat the Middies, 8-1.

While Princeton was upping its record in preparation for the match-up tomorrow, the Crimson mowed through New England teams to grab the regional collegiate tournament held at Williams College.

Harvard dominated the 26-team field with three victories and three second places in the six competitions, and finished with 50 points, well ahead of Brown with 39.

Harvard and Princeton look pretty close as both teams have lost to Columbia and beaten every other team in the Ivy group, though some of the Tiger wins have come by slightly wider margins.

The home court should give the edge to the Crimson. "Last year Princeton went bananas on our clay courts, they were yelling and screaming," manager Dave Greeley recalled yesterday.

Princeton will send Dean Colson, Bill Dutton, Bob Fisher, Joe Krakora, Sandy McLanahan, and Rich Rampell against the regular Harvard line-up led by Gary Reiner. Ken Lindner, John Ingard, Tom Loring, captain Randy Barnett and Chip Baird fill out the singles ladder.

The Crimson will have to rely on its depth again tomorrow and victories in the doubles will surely be needed in order to gain second place in the Ivies.

Loring will team with Barnett at first singles, Lindner will go with Grady Rowbotham, and Reiner and Ingard will team for third doubles.