Gary Adelman and Kal Pollen pulled out a tense 9-7 third set to win the third doubles match, and gave the varsity tennis team a 5-4 victory over Dartmouth yesterday afternoon on Soldiers Field courts.

The Crimson's win came after more than four hours of high-pressure tennis, and give the unbeaten varsity a big boost toward the Eastern Intercollegiate Tennis League championship.

After gaining only an even split in the six singles matches, the Crimson needed to win two out of three from the strong Indians doubles teams. Things looked bad for a while, as Bob Bowditch and Paul Sullivan fell behind, 3-6, 1-2, at number one, and Pete Smith and Bob Schwartzman dropped the first set at number two. Smith and Schwartzman, after taking a 5-3 lead in the second set, lost, 6-2, 8-6, to Ron Picket and Larry Holden.

Bowditch, playing magnificently, and Sullivan reeled off seven straight games to take command of their match against Jim Biggs and Gordon Aydelott. Sullivan hit winners for the last four points and a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory. With the doubles now tied at one-all, the match was decided in the third doubles, where Adelman and Pollen had won the first set, 6-2, but dropped the second, 4-6, to Phil Meyer and Doug Floren.

Adelman and Pollen got off to a 5-2 lead in the final set, but lost this margin as Adelman's service was broken. Then they missed two match points in the twelfth game but three games later Meyer crashed into the fence, chasing a shot by Pollen. He suffered a leg cramp, but was able to continue after a ten-minute break. Despite double faults, Pollen held service after several deuces. Adelman and Pollen then broke Floren's strong service to take the match.

At first singles, Bowditch, the only man on either team to win both singles and doubles, had little trouble with Picket. Despite a weak second set, he pulled out the match 6-2, 2-6, 6-2. Sullivan and Biggs, at number two, had a wildly erratic match, with Biggs winning in an easy third set, 6-1, 1-6, 6-0. Doug Walter at number three picked up the Crimson's first point in the afternoon's quickest match, beating Aydelott, 6-3, 6-1.

The unbeaten tennis team will seek its eleventh victory of the season this afternoon at 3 p.m. facing Army on the Soldiers Field courts. The Crimson squad is heavily favored to win.