Injuries Can't Stop W. Tennis

The Harvard women’s tennis team opened its Ivy League spring season with wins over Cornell and Columbia at the Murr Center Courts this weekend. The Crimson took a 5-2 match over the Big Red on Friday afternoon and followed up with another 5-2 win over the Lions on Saturday.

The wins put Harvard (6-7, 2-0 Ivy) in the driver’s seat heading into a difficult upcoming weekend with matches against Penn and Princeton.

The weekend also saw the return of junior Sanja Bajin, who returned to the Crimson lineup after being sidelined with an injury since early March.

Injuries to top freshmen forced Harvard—who hadn’t won a doubles point in eight matches—to begin conference play with new pairings at the top.

Freshman Suzanna Lingman missed the entire weekend with an injury to her left shoulder, while fellow freshman and national No. 23 Courtney Bergman sat out the Columbia match with shin splints.

Due to Lingman’s absence, Bergman was paired with freshman Ashley Hyotte against the Big Red (11-5, 1-2) at No. 2 doubles, while Bajin and freshman Alexis Martire formed a reconstituted duo at No. 1.

Martire and Bajin edged Suzanne Wright and Akane Kokubo at the top spot, 9-7. Although Bergman and Lingman lost to Cornell’s Kate Sternberg and Laura Tallent, 8-6, a win by co-captain Fleur Broughton and senior Sarah McGinty at No. 3 doubles gave Harvard the doubles point and the early lead.

“I think everyone competed really well, especially with the injuries,” Bergman said. “Our players had to play harder positions than they usually play, and everyone came mentally prepared for that.”

Martire and Broughton easily defeated their opponents at Nos. 2 and 4 singles, respectively, and junior Lara Naqushbandi won at No. 5 to clinch the win for the Crimson.

Bergman played through her shin injury to knock off Wright at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-3, but did not see action in Saturday’s competition. She said that she feels she should be able to play this weekend.

“I’m feeling pretty good, but it’s sore,” Bergman said. “Hopefully it won’t be as bad against Penn and Princeton.”

Lingman said she believes she will also be able to play, chalking her injury up to the team’s busy spring break. The Crimson had played three nationally-ranked teams during that stretch, and had beaten a fourth opponent, Pepperdine, on the strength of a grueling three-set Lingman win on Mar. 29.

“I played a lot over the break and couldn’t hit a backhand,” Lingman said. “I’m not sure what it was.”

Without Bergman or Lingman to rely on, the Crimson still had no trouble defeating Columbia (8-7, 0-3).

Martire and Bajin conferred an 8-2 beating on the tandem of Joyce Chang and Miriam Rahali for a win at No. 1 doubles, while Broughton and McGinty won at No. 2 to give Harvard the doubles point.

Naqushbandi and Hyotte dropped a 9-8 (5) marathon session to Melissa Nguyen and Lucia Aniello that would have given Harvard the doubles sweep.

Martire led the singles assault with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Shelley Mittal at No. 1, and Broughton, Naqushbandi and McGinty also delivered wins at the third, fourth and fifth spots, respectively.

“This was a good test for everybody, getting to play two spots higher than normal, and feeling a bit of pressure,” Harvard Coach Gordon Graham said. “The team responded well, battled hard for every point… and pulled out a lot of wins.”

Just the same, the heart of the Ivy season will demand more than just a gritty effort, and it begins this weekend.

“We did well this weekend, but we’re all hoping to get everyone healthy for Penn and Princeton,” Naqushbandi said.