Facing M.I.T.'s strongest squad in many years, the varsity tennis team is nonetheless a favorite to whip the Engineers in the opening match of the regular season at 3 p.m. today on the Soldiers Field Courts.

Crimson depth, decisive several times during the spring vacation trip, should once again be the key factor. For the Engineers have three very good players and then tail off rather rapidly. Their number one man, sophomore Raul Carmen, the top player in Cuba, has performed on two of that country's Davis Cup teams. He must be favored over Crimson captain Ned Weld, who defeated Bob Bowditch for the first singles spot in a test match yesterday.

Bowditch, playing number two, faces another sophomore, Jack Klapper, who should give him a fair amount of trouble; and Tim Gallwey, at third singles, will meet Jeff Winicour, who was Tech's number one man the past two years. Below this point, however, the varsity has three men--Fred Vinton, Jorge Lemann and Bill Wood--of very high caliber, who (at least by their vacation performances) should have no difficulty with their respective opponents, Bob Kenfick, Bob Hodges, and Rabi Sikri.

In the doubles, number one-with Weld-Bowditch playing Carmen-Klapper--should be quite match, but the Crimson appears to have the edge in the other two, Gallwey-Vinton against Winicour-Kenfick and Lemann-Wood against Hodges-Sikri.