Netmen Drop Two at H.E.B. Invitational

Just when everyone was starting to join the Harvard men's tennis team's bandwagon, things started getting lonely in the Lone Star state.

The Crimson lost to Pepperdine Saturday, 7-2, and then fell to Texas Christian yesterday, 5-1, in the H.E.B. Invitational in Corpus Christi, Tex. Harvard (5-3) finished the tournament, which included 10 of the top 20 teams in the nation, in a tie for seventh place.

The tournament semifinal match-ups were South Carolina against North Carolina and Pepperdine battling Notre Dame.

Against Pepperdine, five of the six singles matches were extended to three sets, with Harvard's number-one and number-two singles players, Michael Zimmerman and Mark Leschly, capturing their respective three-set matches. But Albert Chang, Derek Brown and Jon Cardi all dropped three-set matches after winning 7-6 sets.

The Waves' Alejo Mancisidore and Ashley Naumann clinched the victory at third doubles with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Zimmerman and John Tolmie.

Against the Horned Frogs, the defending tournament champion, the Crimson lost the match in singles, with Cardi the only Harvard player managing to pull out a win. Cardi topped Mark Tjia in three sets at fourth singles.

In the only other close matches at singles, Chang lost to Luis Ruette, 7-6, in the third set, and Roger Berry dropped a 7-6, 6-7, 6-2 decision to Gerard Ronan. Waves, 7-2 in Corpus Christi, Tex.

Singles Matches

1. Michael Zimmerman (HARVARD) d. David Wells-Roth (Pepperdine), 4-6, 7-5, 6-4; 2. Mark Leschly (HARVARD) d. Tomer Zimmerman (Pepperdine), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6; 3. Alejo Mancisidore (Pepperdine) d. Albert Chang (HARVARD), 6-7, 6-3, 6-1; 4. Howard Jaffe (Pepperdine) d. Derek Brown (HARVARD), 6-1, 6-7, 6-1; 5. Ashley Naumann (Pepperdine) d. Jon Cardi (HARVARD), 6-7, 7-6, 6-2; 6. Kevin O'Neill (Pepperdine) d. Roger Berry (HARVARD), 6-1, 6-2.

Doubles Matches

1. Wells-Roth/O'Neill (Pepperdine) d. Cardi/Chang (HARVARD), 2-6, 6-4, 2-1, ret.; 2. TZimmerman/Jaffe (Pepperdine) d. Roger Berry/Leschly (HARVARD), 1-6, 6-2, 4-1, ret.; 3. Mancisidore/Naumann (Pepperdine) d. DZimmerman/Tolmie (HARVARD), 6-3, 6-4. Horned Frogs, 5-1 in Corpus Christi, Tex.

Singles Matches

1. Tony Bujan (TCU) d. Michael Zimmerman (HARVARD), 6-4, 6-3; 2. Luis Ruette (TCU) d. Albert Chang (HARVARD), 6-2, 3-6, 7-6; 3. Sandon Stolle (TCU) d. Derek Brown (HARVARD), 6-2, 6-2; 4. Jon Cardi (HARVARD) d. Mark Tjia (TCU), 6-3, 5-7, 6-4; 5. Ricardo Rubio (TCU) d. Johm Tolmie (HARVARD), 6-2, 6-3; 6. Gerard Ronan (TCU) d. Roger Berry (HARVARD), 7-6, 6-7, 6-2.

Doubles Matches

None Competed.