M. Tennis Beats Purdue

The Harvard men’s tennis team took its match against Purdue 6-1 at the Murr Center Courts on Saturday to improve to 3-0 on the season.

“We played a good match,” associate men’s tennis coach Peter Mandeau said.

The Crimson entered Saturday’s match against Purdue with a No. 44 ITA national ranking, climbing three spots after beating Fresno State and Oklahoma State earlier this month.

The Boilermakers, although largely unknown by Harvard, is well regarded nationally, ranked No. 50.

On Saturday, Harvard took the doubles point by winning two of the three closely contested matches. The Crimson proceeded to blow away the opposition in singles competition, sweeping the two through six singles slots to complete an impressive win.

“We competed well up and down the roster,” junior Oli Choo added.

In doubles, the Crimson’s top team of sophomores Dave Lingman and Chris Chiou fell to Purdue’s Dan Swan and Scott Mayer by the score of 9-7. But Choo and freshman Jonathan Chu won 8-3 in second doubles, and captain Dalibor Snyder won third doubles with sophomore Mark Riddell 9-7.

With that hard-fought point in hand, Harvard breezed through the singles matches.

Purdue’s Mayer beat Harvard’s Chu in the No. 1 singles spot 7-5, 6-4. After that, it was all Crimson.

Lingman cruised in No. 2 singles 6-1, 6-3, while sophomore George Turner won a competitive match in the third slot, and freshman Brian Wan did likewise in fourth singles.

Senior William Lee won a competitive 7-5, 6-4 decision in the fifth singles game, and Riddell went down to the wire to beat Purdue in the sixth spot.

Starting off the season with three wins has set a positive tone for the team.

“It’s a good start to the season,” Choo said. “It’s very encouraging.”

Harvard’s match with Purdue Saturday was the first of four games during a three-week homestand against nationally ranked opponents.

The Crimson will play No. 48 Fresno State and No. 75 Charleston Southern next weekend. The following weekend, the Crimson will line up opposite the 50th-ranked Northwestern Wildcats.