Tennis Team Whips Dartmouth, 7-2, Takes First Five Singles Matches

Harvard's tennis team turned what on paper seemed a close match into a 7-2 rout of Dartmouth Saturday on the Soldier' Field Courts and established itself right behind league leaders Columbia and Princeton in the EITA.

The match was never in contention, as the Crimson jumped off to victories in the first five singles matches--all in straight sets--before losing at number six. With the match clinched. Harvard breezed through the doubles with two of three wins.

Dartmouth came to Cambridge primed for an upset and boasting a slightly better record than the Crimson, although both teams had identical EITA records--losses to Columbia and Princeton and wins over Brown. Comparative scores and Harvard's reputation gave the Crimson and edge.

Crimson sophomore Harris Masterson provided Harvard with the lift it needed with a quick win over Dartmouth's respected co-captain Lloyd Ucko, 6-2,6-2. In a conservative match, Masterson rarely came up to net and forced mistakes on Ucko with consistent returns.

Important Match

It was an important match for Masterson, who has been struggling this season against a strong group of number ones. A week ago, Ucko defeated Columbia's Ricky Fagel, who had trounced Masterson.

At number tow the match was a contrast to that at number one. Harvard's rangy Ken Lindner kept the pressure on Bill Kellogg by repeatedly coming up to net. Lindner won, 6-1, 6-4.

Freshman John Inguard, suffering through a disappointing start, ripped co-captain Brain Williams. 6-0, 6-4, while at number four and five, the only two holdovers from last year's squad gave the Crimson the two points to clinch the match. Tom Loring best Andy Oldenburg, 6-4, 6-4.

In the longest match of the day, Harvard veteran Chris Nielson fell to skinny sophomore Rick Woolworth, 6-4, 7-5, in a match marked by long volleys and consistent returns.

Masterson and Lindner, a doubles team for whom the Crimson has great hopes, continued its domination of the Indians with 6-3, 7-5 victory over Oldenburg and Ucko, considered a top doubles team.

Inguard and Nelson lost to Williams and Kellogg, while Rick Devereux and Bill Babcock, substituting for Barnet and Loring at third doubles played until dark and eked out a come-from-behind win, 1-6, 7-6, 6-3.