Netmen Enjoy Suprising Success at Yale

Following a great act is never easy, but the Harvard men's tennis team did a remarkably good job at just that last weekend at the Yale Invitational.

The tournament at Cullman Courts in New Haven, Ct., served as the first test for this year's relatively young squad, which is without four of last year's top players.

Consider the test passed.

The Harvard men swept through the competition, claiming five singles and doubles titles over the weekend.

"I think that this definitely indicates that we are one of the strongest teams in the region," Captain Pete Stovell said. "It's especially impressive that three freshman are playing so well for us two weeks into the season."

"Last year's team was unbelievable, but we're really deep this year, too," freshman Dan Chung said. "Hopefully, we can keep winning and having fun."

Amazingly, Harvard had five of the six finalists in the three singles divisions.

The Crimson lost only two matches to other schools, dominating the competition from Temple, Yale, Dartmouth, Providence, Boston College and Cornell.

In the top singles division, junior Marshall Burroughs crushed Santtu Seppala of Yale in the semifinals, 6-2,6-2.

In the finals, Burroughs defeated teammate Andrew Rueb, 7-5,7-6.

Harvard's representative in the B Division Final, Umesha Wallooppillai, continued the team's winning ways by rallying to defeat Sam Cook of Dartmouth, 4-6,6-4,6-1.

The C division final pitted two Harvard freshmen against each other, with Chung defeating Todd Meringoff, 6-4,6-1.

In the A doubles division, Burroughs and Stovell lost to Rueb and Wallooppillai in another all-Harvard final, 7-5, 6-4, while Meister and Meringoff took the B division title by defeating a team from Yale, 6-1, 7-6.

The Crimson hosts the Harvard Invitational tournament this weekend, giving the young team another chance to prove itself against stronger opponents.

Michigan, Northwestern and Notre Dame will all be in town for the tourney.

Before the Yale Invitational, Harvard Coach Dave Fish said, "Everyone expects us to be a doormat this year. We will not be a doormat."

If the results in New Haven are any indication, Fish may actually be right.