Netmen Drop a Big Red Bomb

While the Harvard women's tennis team was crushing Cornell, 9-0, at Beren Tennis Center, the men's squad was working some similar magic 300 miles away in Ithaca, N.Y.

And just like their female counterparts, the netmen did not surrender a single set to their Big Red opponents en route to an identical 9-0 triumph.

With its decisive victory, the Crimson snapped its brief one-game losing streak and improved its overall record to 7-8 on the year (4-2 EITA).

"They haven't played with four of their starters all year," Cornell Coach Steve Medford said. "And they still beat us badly."

Playing at number-one singles, Harvard Captain Peter Palandjian destroyed Cornell's Eric Cruz, 6-1, 6-4. Arkie Engle recorded a 6-3, 6-3 decision over Bruce Jervis in the second singles.

Continuing his superb play, Paul Palandjian whipped Cornell's Dave Pellts, 6-1, 6-0, breaking Pellts' service six times.

At number four, Harvard's Darryl Laddin recorded a victory by the same score as Palandjian, except he shut out Dave Meel in the first set, while losing only one game in the second.

In the fifth and sixth singles, Harvard's John Stinebaugh and Roger Berry continued filling in admirably for the injured netmen. Stinebaugh crushed John Kremer, 6-2, 6-1, while Berry edged out Jeff Weiss, 6-2, 7-6.

"We've done well against teams that Harvard has already beaten," Medford said. "We played well against both of the EITA schools that Harvard lost to, but they just destroyed us. Harvard has a very strong program and tradition."

All in the Family

The Palandjian brothers teamed up for the first time all season to knock off Cruz and John Fasullo, 6-3, 6-3, in first doubles.

In the second doubles, the duo of Engle and Laddin smashed Jervis and Kremer, 6-1, 6-1, while Stinebaugh and Berry closed out the day with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Chad Meyer and Chris Folley in third doubles.

The Crimson will face Army this afternoon at West Point, NY.

THE NOTEBOOK: Fish is 11-0 lifetime against Cornell...Harvard leads the series with the Big Red, 36-6...The Crimson's shutout yesterday was the third consecutive over Cornell (15th overall), including 12 in the last 14 years...Against the Big Red, Harvard has won 302 individual matches, while surrendering only 69...If Harvard wins its final three matches, it will finish in a three-way tie with Yale and Brown for second place. It will also mark the 12th time the netmen have finshed second in the EITA since the league was formed in 1940.

Men's Tennis 9, Cornell 0 at Ithaca, N.Y.

1st singles: Peter Palandjian, H, def. Cruz, C, 6-1, 6-4; 2nd singles: Engle, H, def. Jervis, C, 6-3, 6-3; 3rd singles: Paul Palandjian, H, def. Pellts, C, 6-1, 6-0; 4th singles: Laddin, H, def. Meel, C, 6-0, 6-1; 5th singles: Stinebaugh, H, def. Kremer, C, 6-2, 6-1; 6th singles: Berry, H, def. Weiss, C, 6-2, 7-6; 1st doubles: Peter Palandjian and Paul Palandjian, H, def. Cruz and Fassullo, C, 6-3, 6-3; 2nd doubles: Engle and Laddin, H, def. Jervis and Kremer, C, 6-1, 6-1; 3rd doubles: Berry and Stinebaugh, H, def. Meyer and Folley, C, 6-3, 6-2.

Harvard: 7-8 (4-2 EITA)

Cornell: 9-11 (1-7 EITA)