Elis End Netwomen's 43-Game Ivy Streak

NEW HAVEN, Conn.--All good things must come to an end.

The Harvard women's tennis team dropped a tough, 5-4 decision to Yale yesterday in New Haven, breaking the Crimson's 43-match Ivy League winning streak--the longest streak in league history.

It was a tough upset to swallow, but the Crimson will not have much time to think about it. Harvard travels to Brown this afternoon for another key Ivy matchup.

Harvard (9-11 overall, 2-1 Ivy)still has an outside chance to qualify for the NCAA tournament next month. The Crimson hopes probably rest on the squad winning the rest of its Ivy matches and William & Mary losing at least one match over the course of the season.

"I thought it was basically a good effort," Jennifer Minkus said. "Obviously we still have a great chance to take the Ivies. At first it was in our hands, but now it's a little out of our hands. But we have to keep up our end just in case William & Mary loses again."

The Elis (12-9 overall, 5-1 Ivy) won two of the three doubles matches, forcing the Crimson into the precarious position of having to win four of its six singles matches.. and Harvard only won three.

While none of the players would blame the loss on the wind, it obviously created havoc for the players--as the Crimson hit several normal shots that whipped out of bounds.

At first doubles, Jamie Henikoff and Amy deLone dropped a tough straight set, 7-6, 6-2 match to Lynn Rosentrach and Elizabeth Baldwin, while Harvard Co-Captain Kathy Mulvehal and Christina Dragomirescu fell to Lauren Flynn and Andrea Williams, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.

One of the most impressive matches of the day was between the Crimson's Jacki Farrell and Minkus and Yale's Jennifer Mahoney and Jennifer Brown.

After splitting the first two games, Yale went on a five-game streak to clinch the first set. But Minkus and Farrell began to score on their overhead slams and passing shots to rally for a 6-2 victory in the second set. Trailing 3-0 in the third set, Farrell and Minkus could have been diagnosed as terminated. But just when the monitors were being turned off, Farrell and Minkus came back to life, picking up Yale shots and scoring approach shots at will. Harvard won six straight games to win the set and match.

Even Mark Twain would've been proud.

At first singles, Dragomirescu, who was not at full speed because of a sore ankle, dropped a 7-6, 6-2 decision to Rosentrach, while deLone lost to Baldwin in straight sets, 7-5, 7-6.

Henikoff never got on track in third singles, dropping a 6-1, 6-1 decision. At fourth singles, Farrell defeated Flynn, 6-7, 7-5, 6-2. Even though the match had already been decided, Farrell concentrated enough to beat Flynn.

Nikki Rival was in the same position, pulling out an exciting 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win over Brown. Mulvehal gave a clinic to Mahoney, overwhelming her opponent in straight sets.

"I think everyone played well today," Mulvehal said. "Everyone gave 100 percent. I hope no individual tries to blame themselves for one incident. Harvard lost to Yale, not individuals."