If the weather will quit being so typical of New England, Harvard should have a successful tennis season this year. Blessed with a number of seasoned veterans in his second year as Varsity Coach, Jack Barnaby has been hampered by cold winds and damp courts. And the matches scheduled last weekend with Columbia and Pennsylvania were unfortunately rained out.

Captain Dave Burt, ex-Captain Langdon Gilkey, and Johnny Palfrey will form the backbone of this year's outfit, as they did a year ago. All three are really standout players. Dominating the first three positions on the combined Harvard-Yale team which defeated Oxford and Cambridge in England last summer, they also won several important tournaments abroad. Palfrey felt especially at home on the grass courts at Winchester, England; while Burt cleaned up at La Bole, France.

Together, Burt and Gilkey form one of the best doubles teams that Harvard has ever had. They may go through this season undefeated. But one of Coach Barnaby's greatest worries will be to develop two more strong doubles combinations --capable of saving the day should the singles matches turn out badly for Harvard.

Chances are that the Crimson will win a good share of its singles matches -- if only the weather will allow some time for practice. The indomitable Chet Legg--Harvard's best dressed athlete--may be counted on to produce good tennis. And southpaw Jack Stewart, equally adopt at both singles and doubles, is another Barnaby mainstay. All these men are seniors.

Homer Peabody--now almost wholly recovered from the leg injury received in basketball this winter--and Sonny Lyell are two of the outstanding juniors. With Corey Wynn, Harris Westheimer, Gordon Hough, and Sophomore Orme Wilson, they form a contingent which should keep the seniors on their toes. Don Marvin, Hubie Earle, and several of the less experienced sophomores are also in the running. It is too bad that Walter Muther, Stewart's former partner in doubles and Russ Ellis, number one on last year's freshman team, are not available this spring. They would be an addition to any college squad.

When Miami comes to town this Friday the Harvard season will start with a bang. Despite the fact that Dave Burt defeated their star, Charley Matman, Miami beat the Crimson racquetmen last year 7-2. This spring they should be just as strong, but Jack Barnaby isn't conceding anything in advance. Then, on May Day comes the season's key match--with the Tiger down at Princeton. This should constitute Harvard's toughest fight against Ivy league opposition. After the Orange and Black are scheduled Cornell, M. I. T., Amherst, Brown, Dartmouth, and Yale in that order. Divinity Field's rejuvenated grandstand may seat a record crowd when the Bulldog pays his visit, on May 25.

Dick Dorson is optimistic about the prospects of his Yardling team this spring. Jim Jenkins of Hawaii, Don Daniels of California, Aubrey Gould of Long Island, and Willard Nicholl of Brookline, appear most promising from the Class of 1943. They are expected to form the nucleus of a better than average freshman squad.

Thus both the Varsity and the Freshmen have fine potentialities. With a break from the weatherman they may be depended upon to give a good account of themselves.