Netmen Pound Columbia, Avenge 1984 Loss, 7-2

There were two kegs present at the Harvard men's tennis match against Columbia at Soldiers Field courts yesterday, each a crowd pleaser.

One was a beer keg that was kept in the parking lot and provided hours of drinking fun for the 100 spectators.

The other was the deadly powering Crimson (9-3 overall, 2-0 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Tennis Association), which exploded the defending EITA champion Lions by an impressive 7-2 score.

The victory avenged Harvard's only setback of the 1984 EITA season, a loss at Columbia. The score of that nightmare was also 7-2.

But yesterday was a different story.

Bill Stanley and Dave Beck man, playing second and third singles respectively, cruised to straight set victories. Number one Larry Scott needed three sets, but he too grabbed a victory for Harvard.

The Cantabs' most impressive victory was turned in by Darryl Laddin at fifth singles. Playing against a very tough opponent. Laddin held on for a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win--

"Darryl Laddin's win was really the key," said Crimson Coach Dave Fish. "Williamson [his opponent] is a very strong player to have at number five and Darryl stayed within himself and kept getting better and better as the match programmed."

After taking a 4-2 land in singles, Harvard grabbed victory in all three of the doubles matches.

The first to finish--thus clinching the Crimson victory--were Beckman and Paul Palandjian, who won at the number two spot, 6-3, 6-4.

Moments later, the third team of Laddin and Peter Palandjian in with a 6-4, 6-2 win.

Even though the first singles match ended an hour later, many of the netmen stayed around to watch Scott and Arkie Engle battle it out with Columbia's top tandem.

This teams unity was really a hallmark of yesterday's victory. Harvard players constantly called encouragement to thei teammates, seen and unseen.

Cheerleaders

"Anybody who was watching could see how much the guys were supporting each other through it," Fish said.

Scott and Eagle rewarded their compatriots' 7-5, 6-7, 6-3 win.

Only Penn and Princeton remain as serious obstacles on the netmen's road to their fourth EITA side in the pass five years. The Crimson will have an opportunity to remove one of those obstacles today when it hosts the Quakers at 2 p.m.