Crimson Netmen Gain 6-1 Victory Over MIT

Harvard's tennis team launched its regular season yesterday, defeating crosstown rival M.I.T. 6-1 in a match stopped prematurely because of darkness.

Despite the lopsided score, the Crimson netmen had to struggle for their victory. "The same thing happens every year," Harvard coach Jack Barnaby admitted after the match. "We were just too overconfident."

Top singles player John Levin epitomized Harvard's difficulties. Levin finished runner-up in the New England Intercollegiate Championships last year as a sophomore. Against M.I.T., he performed below his usual caliber, yet still edged his opponent 6-2, 6-8, 6-4.

Like the Harvard team, Levin played just well enough to win. After building a commanding 5-1 lead in the third set, he committed a series of careless errors which almost cost him the match. Levin finally rallied at 5-4 to hold his service and win the match.

The Rock Rolls

Rocky Jarvis and captain Jose Gonzales, playing at numbers two and three respectively, scored Harvard's most decisive triumphs. Jarvis used a stinging forehand and a "Barnaby" drop shot to annihilate his opponent 6-1, 6-0. Gonzales showed slightly more compassion than "the Rock" as he clubbed his M.I.T. counterpart 6-0, 6-4.

Harvard suffered its only defeat at number four singles where junior Steve Devereux dropped a tight three-set match, 7-5, 0-6, 7-5. Devereux was unable to overcome his opponent's unusual strategy, which included crude digital gestures, bad calls, and obnoxious behavior.

Terry Oxford and Bruce Weigand stroked out wins at five and six to clinch the team victory for Harvard. Weigand lost the first set and was trailing 4-3 in the second before he rallied to gain his triumph.

Only one doubles match could be completed as darkness interrupted play at the M.I.T. courts. Oxford and Marty Flusser catured the number two doubles match. After trailing 5-2, 40-love in the third set Levin and Jarvis displayed fantastic clutch tennis and almost pulled out a victory. The battle was deadlocked at six games apiece when it ended. At number three doubles, Eric Wise and Clarke Kawakami blew two match points and finally settled for draw.