Crimson Tennis Squads Split in Weekend Action

The Harvard women's varsity tennis team suffered its first defeat of the young season Saturday afternoon at Soldiers Field, a frustrating 8-1 loss to the Pennsylvania Quakers.

Despite freshman Tiina Bougas' come-from-behind victory in first singles, the Crimson never displayed the form which keyed its season-debut triumph over Boston University.

Bougas, displaying a combination of base-line strength and forecourt agility, shocked Anne Marie Kleis, the Quakers' number one player. Bougas overcame early flaws which left her trailing, 5-6, in the first set, with eight straight game victories.

Fighting the swirling winds, Bougas modified her game and quickly ended Kleis' thoughts of victory with a 6-0 second set whitewashing.

Following the victory in first singles, the Crimson fortunes turned sour. Second singles performer Martha Roberts was stunned by Wendy Levy in a quick two-set affair, 6-1, 6-2.

The problems continued to mount for the netwomen when steady performer Meg Meyer suffered a critical three-set loss from her third position.

Meyer showed her patient and methodical baseline style early in the match to earn a hard-fought 7-5 first set with, but the captain's fortunates changed quickly in the second set as she was unable to confront Lisa Silverstein's corner-to-corner game plan. Forced out of position, Meyer could not slow down Silverstein's dominating pace, and fell, 6-2.

The third set of this grueling two-hour match did not provide any relief for Meyer, as Silverstein continued to control the tempo and earned a hard-fought 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 three-set win.

The remainder of the singles action sealed the Crimson defeat as the netwomen were unable to notch another victory. Fourth-slotter Abby Meiselman fought back from a first set loss to garner a 6-0 second-set win, but she was unable to continue the trend as she fell in the third set forth a 6-4, 0-6, 6-0 match defeat.

Leslie Miller and Kristen Mertz also succumbed to their number five and six Quaker counterparts. Miller never got untracked, as she was crushed, 6-0, 6-2, by Karen Nyman. Mertz was also handled easily, 6-3, 6-1.