Racquetmen Master Lions

There were few, if any, surprises at Beren Tennis Center yesterday. The Harvard men's tennis team, currently ranked 12th in the nation, dominated a vastly inferior Columbia squad, 8-1.

At first singles, junior Mike Zimmerman had no trouble downing the Lions' Mark Sigalov, 6-0, 6-0.

"He [Sigalov] was pretty erratic," Zimmerman said. "It was windy out, and he had a hard time keeping the ball in the court. He was missing frequently," Zimmerman said.

Nonetheless, Zimmerman termed the match "a good tuneup for the beginning of the season."

Playing second singles, Albert Chang dispatched Columbia's Jonathan Venison, 6-1, 6-0.

"[The score] was all there was to it," Chang said. "I played well. I actually expected a tougher match from him."

At third singles, Mike Shyjan disposed of Rushan Samarshing, 6-1, 7-5.

Ian Williams, Derek Brown and John Tolmie all followed with wins for the Crimson, helping Harvard to a 6-0 singles sweep.

In doubles action, Shyjan and Zimmerman, ranked third in the country, set down Columbia's first team of Sigalov and Venison, 6-4, 6-3.

"We were a little sluggish," Zimmerman said. "But the match was pretty predictable. They made errors on the big points, and that was the difference in the match."

Harvard's Brent LaTanzi and Chang dispensed with David Gabel and Burke Banda, 6-2, 6-2.

The lone low point for the Crimson was the third doubles team of Jon Cardi and Marshall Burroughs. Rushan and Daniel Wilson copped the Lions sole victory, downing Cardi and Burroughs, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.

"We came out very intense," Chang said. "We took them very seriously, even though the outcome of the match probably would have been the same no matter what."

But after having just completed the toughest part of its schedule during its Spring Break trip to the West Coast, the Crimson now has to bear a different burden.

"From here on in it is going to be tough mentally," Zimmerman said. "We're favored to win the rest of our matches. When you're favored, there is more pressure, and it's harder to win."

Next week's match against West Virginia should prove to be the most important of the season, according to Zimmerman.

"It is basically what our season rests on right now," Zimmerman said. "The winner of that match will probably earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament."

Crimson, 8-1

at Beren Tennis Center

Singles Matches

1. Mike Zimmerman (HARVARD) d. Mark Sigalov (C), 6-0, 6-0; 2. Albert Chang (H) d. Jonathan Venison (C), 6-1, 6-0; 3. Mike Shyjan (H) d. Rushan Samarshing (C), 6-1, 7-5; 4. Ian Williams (H) d. Tom Divone (C), 6-2, 6-2; 5. Derek Brown (H) d. Burke Banda (C), 7-5, 6-1; 6. John Tolmie (H) d. Blake Spahn (C), 6-3, 6-1.

Doubles Matches

1. Shyjan/Zimmerman (H) d. Sigalov/Venison (C), 6-4, 6-3; 2. LaTanzi/Chang (H) d. Banda/David Gabel (C), 6-2, 6-2; 3. Samarshing/Daniel Wilson (C) d. Cardi/Burroughs (H), 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.