Bergman and Classmates Lead Women’s Tennis

They wouldn’t let one match spoil a season.

When they look back on the past year, the members of the Harvard women’s tennis team will likely first remember the 5-2 loss to Pennsylvania on April 12 that cost the Crimson the Ivy championship. A fraction of a second later, however the team should remind itself how it battled through adversity to win its last four Ivy League matches in convincing fashion, setting the table for another run at the Ivy crown in 2003.

The Crimson began the season on the highest note possible, winning the ECAC Championships in October. After defeating both George Washington and Cornell, 7-0, Harvard dropped only one point to Yale in a 6-1 victory before trouncing Penn, 7-0, in the finals. Little did Harvard know that Penn would be the thorn in the Crimson’s side at year’s end.

In the ECAC finals, freshman Courtney Bergman demonstrated her immense talent with a victory over Penn’s nationally ranked singles star Alice Pirsu at No. 1 singles.

Bergman also teamed up with classmate Susanna Lingman to earn a victory at No. 1 doubles. Harvard’s No. 2 doubles team of junior Sanja Bajin and freshman Alexis Martire soundly defeated Penn’s Raluca Ciulei and Shelah Chao, 8-4, giving Harvard a doubles point that would sometimes prove elusive as the season continued.

Bajin won in a three-set nail-biter at No. 2 singles, while captain Fleur Broughton took home a straight-set victory in the No. 5 slot. Three more freshman triumphs rounded out the day for Harvard, as Martire, Lingman and Ashley Hyotte won at third, fourth and sixth singles, respectively.

Two weeks later, the accolades continued for Bergman, as she won the Omni Hotels Eastern Regional Championship (formerly known as the ITA Championships). Competing in a field of players from 56 schools, Bergman found herself matched up against Penn’s Pirsu again in the finals. The Crimson freshman, a Florida native who contemplated playing tennis for national powerhouse Stanford before deciding on Harvard, defeated Pirsu in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1, to advance to nationals.

“I feel real confident now,” Bergman said at the time. “I have faith in my abilities and I just go out and play my best. Whatever happens, happens.”

Bergman would unfortunately draw the No. 1 women’s singles player in the nation, Florida’s Jessica Lehnhoff, in the first round of nationals. Despite losing 6-1, 6-0, Bergman should have three other opportunities to advance in her remaining years at Harvard.

The winter season began with another boost as Harvard nearly upset Duke on Feb. 2, losing 4-3. The Blue Devils were the second-ranked team in the nation at the time. The tight match proved Harvard’s arrival on the national stage.

“In the past, we wouldn’t have been good enough to play with Duke,” Bajin said. “But the freshmen have carried us to a new level and brought up our ranking.”

The near-victory against Duke moved the Crimson to the No. 39 spot in the nation. Harvard continued its success with 7-0 wins the following week against Boston University and UMass.

Road trips to South Carolina, Florida and California followed, where Harvard squared off against the nation’s best, including a match with No. 1 Stanford. Though Harvard lost 6-1 to the Cardinal, Harvard Coach Gordon Graham knew that having the opportunity would only help the team in its quest to win an Ivy League title. A 4-3 win over Pepperdine on March 29 was a nice going-away present for the Crimson, as league play commenced the following week.

Harvard had little trouble dispatching Cornell and Columbia to start the Ivy season but could not defeat the Quakers in the teams’ rematch. Having to play on Penn’s home court, Harvard lost, 5-2, and realized that its Ivy hopes had likely disappeared.

Unlike in the ECAC Championships, Harvard lost the doubles point to Penn when former No. 1 doubles player Pirsu dropped down to play No. 2 with Chao. The new duo defeated Bajin and Martire, 8-4.

That victory—combined with Penn’s win at No. 3 doubles—was enough to give Penn the one-point advantage. Though Lingman and Martire won their matches again, neither Bajin nor Broughton nor senior Lara Naqushbandi could prevail, giving Penn the victory.

Bergman fought Pirsu to a standstill at No. 1 singles in the pair’s third meeting of the year. With the match tied at one-set apiece, the two played a tiebreaker because Penn had already won the match with four points. Pirsu won the 10-point tiebreaker to give Penn a 5-2 victory.

“It was a pretty disappointing match,” Bergman said after the loss. “Our goal was to win the Ivy League. But we still have matches to play so we can’t give up.”

The Crimson would not surrender, going out in style with four consecutive victories to polish off a highly successful season. The Crimson ended the year ranked No. 57 in the nation.

Harvard loses leadership, experience and a large portion of its roster next season, as Brougton, Naqushbandi, Sarah McGinty, Jennie Timoney and Andrea Magyera will all be gone.

But the Crimson will not be without talent. Bergman, Lingman, Martire and Hyotte will all benefit from a year of varsity experience and captain Bajin should lead Harvard to even more success in 2003.

Most importantly, Harvard will get to play Penn on its home turf in Cambridge next year in a match that will likely once again decide the Ivy League championship.

WOMEN'S TENNIS

RECORD 10-8 (6-1 Ivy)

COACH Gordon Graham

CAPTAINS Fleur Broughton, Andrea Magyera

HIGHLIGHTS Harvard wins fall ECAC title, while Courtney Bergman advances to nationals. Crimson nearly stuns No. 2 Duke in February, finishes year ranked No. 57.