W. Tennis Set For Tourney

Three of the nation’s top 64 women’s tennis programs will descend upon Cambridge this weekend to join Harvard in the opening rounds of the NCAA National Championship tournament.

Hosted at the Beren Tennis Center in Allston, the No. 18 Crimson will square off against No. 23 Oklahoma State, while No. 16 Arizona will meet Niagara in opening round action.

“I am very excited for the team this weekend,” sophomore Alexis Martire said. “We have a great opportunity ahead of us, and I hope that we take advantage of it.”

Harvard corralled the Cowgirls 7-0 earlier in the year and looks for a repeat performance today. However, Oklahoma State rides into the duel with the momentum of a seven-match win streak and a Big 12 Championship.

“We had a few close matches the last time against Oklahoma State, but we should be more prepared for tomorrow, given a different lineup and a lot of previous experience,” freshman phenom Eva Wang said yesterday.

Not to be outdone by the streaking Cowgirls, the Crimson has racked up a string of eight consecutive victories, with its last loss coming March 26 at No. 4 Berkeley. Solid from top-to-bottom, Harvard’s line-up boasts four nationally ranked singles players and the 34th ranked doubles pair.

Sophomore Courtney Bergman, the Crimson’s top singles player, is currently ranked No. 43 nationally. Wang, who usually occupies the four spot is 72nd in the nation. Sophomores Susanna Lingman and Martire are Nos. 101 and 110, respectively. Captain Sanja Bajin is unranked nationally but has bolstered the singles effort with a perfect 17-0 spring record.

In doubles, the standout pair of Bergman and Lingman will attempt to rebound from a stinging 8-2 loss to Brown’s No. 20 doubles team.

Despite that defeat, Harvard remains confident going into the weekend on the basis of a “solid year.”

“Our team has done great this spring, and we hope to continue our success through the course of the weekend,” Martire said.

And after claiming the Ivy title and thereby securing itself an NCAA tournament berth more than two weeks ago, the Crimson has had more time to hone its attack.

“We had an early morning practice to simulate Friday’s playing time,” Wang said. “Because conditions will be different than last time, as we play outdoors this weekend.”

Wang, however, dismissed the move from indoor to outdoor play as an issue. “It won’t change the outcome of the match,” Wang said.

The winner of the Harvard-Oklahoma State match will face either Niagara or the bracket’s top-ranked program, No. 16 Arizona, for an opportunity to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in Gainesville, Florida.

“This weekend will be incredibly exciting,” Wang said. “Hosting with fan support should be a major plus.”

—Staff writer Sean W. Coughlin can be reached at coughl@fas.harvard.edu.