Tennis Grades [Rankings]

The Harvard men's and women's tennis teams received their mid-term grads this weekend in the form of the fall Rolex Intercollegiate Tennis Rankings and neither team was very pleased.

The netmen (4-0), who captured their second consecutive ECAC championship this fall, were ranked 25th in the nation and second in the Northeast region behind the University of Miami. (I still haven't figured out the geography behind that one.)

It seems whenever I get a lousy mid-term grade back (but who's counting), I always think I could've done much better. It's comforting to see that the tennis teams are no different.

"We're not too happy with either," junior Todd Meringoff said. "It's not where we belong."

"We're ranked a little lower than we expected," junior Dan Chung said. "And Miami [ranked 11th in the nation] was a little higher than they should've been."

The Harvard women's team (3-1) moved up one spot in the national rankings to No. 45, but was ranked third in the Eastern Region. William and Mary and Syracuse finished one, two in front of the Crimson.

It was kind of like when you raise your own grade by five points, only to see the mean rise by eight.

"We though we could have done better in the final team tournament [held October 14-16]," sophomore first singles player Gina Majmudar 'said. "We're disappointed we didn't finish first or second in the east."

Both squads, however, are keeping things in perspective. After all, the fall rankings are about as important as mid-terms in course with resurrection finals. (You Chem 10 students can appreciate this.) It's the final ranking that both squads are really concerned about.

"We really haven't played that much," Chung said of the men's team. "These early rankings are not really that important."

"I don't take it to mean much," said Kate Roiter, junior co-captain of the women's squad.

The men's disappointing mid-term result may actually be just what it needs: a kich in the pants, so to speak.

"This is good for a team like us," Meringoff said. "It's a nice wake-up call. There are teams ahead of us that we think we've better than, so that should motivate us in the spring."

The netmen are trying to arrange an intersession trip to Florida where they could challenge regional rival University of Miami. They have yet to face the Hurricanes in a dual match.

For the women's squad, finishing behind both William and Mary and Syracuse will not be easily forgotten.

You can bet that when the net women face the two teams in dual matches this spring, there won't be any need for a pre-game pep talk.

Both teams have been holding "captain's practices" over the winter season (review sessions, if you will) and frequenting the weight room and track to stay in shape for the spring campaigns, waiting for a chance to improve their grades.

Spring will not, by any means, be a gut.