M. Tennis Thumps Tennessee, Kentucky

The No. 16 Harvard men's tennis team came out of its toughest home match-up of the season with dual victories last weekend over No. 27 Kentucky and No. 12 Tennessee.

The Crimson came from behind against the Wildcats, winning 4-3 and then cruised past the Volunteers in a 6-1 upset.

"For the team, it was huge," said sophomore James Blake, NCAA champion and the only Ivy Leaguer to win back-to-back Rolex Nationals titles.

Led by Blake, the Crimson opened the weekend by outlasting the Wildcats in a grueling contest Saturday afternoon at the Murr Center. KENTUCKY  3 HARVARD  4 TENNESSEE  1 HARVARD  6

An enthusiastic--and somewhat rowdy--home crowd cheered as Blake avenged his sole loss from earlier in the season.

The Wildcats' Carlos Drada had beaten Blake in October at the University of Kentucky Invitational, but he proved no match for the collegiate champion this time, losing 6-3, 4-6, 6-0.

"It's always good to get a little revenge," Blake said. "The first time I played him I was a little tired and probably not playing my best."

While Blake went into the match intent upon redeeming his lone defeat of the season, Drada did not go down without a fight. After taking the first set, Blake nearly let him back into the match by losing the second.

"After the second set, I just made sure I brought up my concentration level," Blake said. "I wanted to put the pressure on him,...and he didn't come with the big points when he needed to."

Blake's singles win was important not just as a matter of personal pride but also for the Harvard squad, which came out of the opening doubles matches trailing Kentucky.

Though Blake and Harvard co-captain Kunj Majmudar defeated the Wildcats' Johan Hesoun and Patrik Johansson 8-6, the Crimson's second and third doubles pairs lost.

Harvard co-captain Mike Passarella and sophomore Scott Clark fell 10-8 after a tough tiebreaker. The No. 3 team of juniors John Doran and Joe Green also succumbed after an intense tiebreaker.

Both Green and Doran, however, went on to wintheir singles matches, as did Majmudar. Thesevictories were enough to secure Harvard's firstMurr Center triumph, a hard-fought 4-3 win.

Majmudar's singles and doubles performance wasparticularly inspiring to his teammates, as thesenior co-captain suffered flu symptoms throughoutthe weekend.

"He was obviously very sick, and he playedincredibly well," Blake said. "It's a testament tohis will power."

Overcoming the after-effects of his arduousplay Saturday, Majmudar said he came out "verystrong" against Tennessee.

So did the rest of his team, as the Crimsontrounced the Volunteers, sending the 12th-rankedsquad home with a decisive 6-1 loss.

Majmudar's determination and Blake's consistentplay led Harvard's first doubles team to an 8-6win over Tennessee's Mark Way and Chad Copenhauer.

Passarella and Clark took out Tennessee's No. 2team of Peter Handoyo and Mark Fitzpatrick 8-6 aswell.

Finally, Green and Doran bested the Volunteers'Paul Podbury and Mark Parsons to give Harvard thelead going into the singles contest.

Blake faced Peter Handoyo in the No. 1 singlesmatch. Handoyo came out fresh and quick in thefirst set but wilted in the second as Blakeprevailed 7-5, 6-2.

Blake said he thought he played better Sundaythan he had on Saturday.

Blake's win was followed by the Crimson's soleloss of the match. Green suffered a disappointing6-2, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Tennessee's AdamCarey.

Green's doubles partner Doran resurrected theCrimson's dominance with a hard-fought, 6-3, 7-5win over Parsons, whom he had already beaten indoubles.

Doran's victory put the Crimson up 3-1 in thematch, but the contest was by no means decided atthis point, as Clark, Majmudar and Passarella werestill engaged in tight battles.

After taking the first set, Clark had droppedthe second against the Volunteers' Fitzpatrick. Inthe third set, however, he regained control,finishing Fitzpatrick off convincingly for a 6-3,4-6, 6-1 final.

Majmudar, meanwhile, battling both the flu andhis Tennessee opponent Way, lost a second-settiebreaker after having taken the first set.

"It was a pretty exciting tiebreaker," Majmudarsaid. "He had some set points, and then I had amatch point that he saved."

The ailing Harvard senior discovered a secondwind in the third set, not letting Way take even agame as he proceeded to victory.

With Harvard ahead 5-1 and the outcome of thematch decided, Passarella showed no mercy inachieving a comeback win over Podbury, 4-6, 6-4,7-6 (7-3).

This weekend's stunning results againstKentucky and Tennessee will provide the Crimsonwith a boost as Harvard heads to National TeamChampionships at the University of WashingtonThursday.

The squad is scheduled to take on fourth-rankedMississippi in the first round of the prestigiousindoor tournament.

Last year, Mississippi eliminated Harvard 4-3from the tournament, but Blake sounded confidentas he anticipated the rematch.

"Just like I wanted revenge on Drada," he said,"we're gonna want revenge on them.

Both Green and Doran, however, went on to wintheir singles matches, as did Majmudar. Thesevictories were enough to secure Harvard's firstMurr Center triumph, a hard-fought 4-3 win.

Majmudar's singles and doubles performance wasparticularly inspiring to his teammates, as thesenior co-captain suffered flu symptoms throughoutthe weekend.

"He was obviously very sick, and he playedincredibly well," Blake said. "It's a testament tohis will power."

Overcoming the after-effects of his arduousplay Saturday, Majmudar said he came out "verystrong" against Tennessee.

So did the rest of his team, as the Crimsontrounced the Volunteers, sending the 12th-rankedsquad home with a decisive 6-1 loss.

Majmudar's determination and Blake's consistentplay led Harvard's first doubles team to an 8-6win over Tennessee's Mark Way and Chad Copenhauer.

Passarella and Clark took out Tennessee's No. 2team of Peter Handoyo and Mark Fitzpatrick 8-6 aswell.

Finally, Green and Doran bested the Volunteers'Paul Podbury and Mark Parsons to give Harvard thelead going into the singles contest.

Blake faced Peter Handoyo in the No. 1 singlesmatch. Handoyo came out fresh and quick in thefirst set but wilted in the second as Blakeprevailed 7-5, 6-2.

Blake said he thought he played better Sundaythan he had on Saturday.

Blake's win was followed by the Crimson's soleloss of the match. Green suffered a disappointing6-2, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Tennessee's AdamCarey.

Green's doubles partner Doran resurrected theCrimson's dominance with a hard-fought, 6-3, 7-5win over Parsons, whom he had already beaten indoubles.

Doran's victory put the Crimson up 3-1 in thematch, but the contest was by no means decided atthis point, as Clark, Majmudar and Passarella werestill engaged in tight battles.

After taking the first set, Clark had droppedthe second against the Volunteers' Fitzpatrick. Inthe third set, however, he regained control,finishing Fitzpatrick off convincingly for a 6-3,4-6, 6-1 final.

Majmudar, meanwhile, battling both the flu andhis Tennessee opponent Way, lost a second-settiebreaker after having taken the first set.

"It was a pretty exciting tiebreaker," Majmudarsaid. "He had some set points, and then I had amatch point that he saved."

The ailing Harvard senior discovered a secondwind in the third set, not letting Way take even agame as he proceeded to victory.

With Harvard ahead 5-1 and the outcome of thematch decided, Passarella showed no mercy inachieving a comeback win over Podbury, 4-6, 6-4,7-6 (7-3).

This weekend's stunning results againstKentucky and Tennessee will provide the Crimsonwith a boost as Harvard heads to National TeamChampionships at the University of WashingtonThursday.

The squad is scheduled to take on fourth-rankedMississippi in the first round of the prestigiousindoor tournament.

Last year, Mississippi eliminated Harvard 4-3from the tournament, but Blake sounded confidentas he anticipated the rematch.

"Just like I wanted revenge on Drada," he said,"we're gonna want revenge on them.