Netmen Conclude Road Trip With 8-1 Loss to Penn

The varsity netmen suffered an 8-1 loss at Pennsylvania last Saturday to register their second key EITA defeat on a disappointing road trip south. Last Friday the team fell to defending league champion Columbia, 7-2.

The absence of flu-stricken Ken Lindner, Harvard's top player, placed the Crimson at a disadvantage for both contests. Coach Jack Barnaby moved the regular two-through-six singles players each up one position and placed Charlie Krusen in the sixth slot, but Harvard failed to present an overwhelming opposition.

The two losses severely damaged Harvard's chances for the EITA title, which the Columbia Lions won last year by compiling a perfect 9-0 record. The Crimson, which finished third last season on seven EITA victories and two losses, currently stands 1-2 in the league and 5-4 overall.

Only One Bout

Six of the matches against the Quakers on Saturday went three sets, but Harvard managed to take only one of the bouts. Penn's Steve Yellin defeated junior John Ingard from Lincoln, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, at number one singles.

Crimson sophomore Gary Reiner fared like Ingard in the second singles position as he dropped the first set, rallied to win the second and then finally lost the third by a close margin. Penn captain Larry Loeb came away with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory.

Quaker rookie Rick Meyer easily disposed of veteran junior Chip Baird, 6-4, 6-1, in the third singles match, and at fourth singles, Crimson freshman John Horn, who recently recovered from the flu, lost to Herb Benham, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Quakers Take Matches

The Quakers took the last two singles matches each in straight sets. Steve Knittle downed Hugh Hyde, a junior from Far Hills, N.J., 7-5, 6-2, and Andy Finn edged Krusen, 6-4, 6-4.

Doubles Matches

All three doubles matches went three sets, with the third doubles pair of Reiner and Baird collecting Harvard's only victory of the day. Meyer and Loeb downed Ingard and Horn at first doubles, while Hyde and Rowbothom lost to Yellin and Benham, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

The Crimson faces its next opponent, Brown, this Friday in Providence.