The Harvard tennis team displayed the high calibre of play it is capable of in a 6-3 victory over Dartmouth at the indoor courts yesterday. The Crimson, entering the match in the unaccustomed role of underdog, won four singles and two doubles in derailing the Green machine.
The high point of the match, and the season, was sophomore John Levin's thrilling three-hour marathon win over Dartmouth's senior Charlie Hoeveler at number one. Hoeveler, as seasoned a player as can be found in New England, took the first set 6-2, but Levin came back to win the second 6-4.
The third set was as exciting as it was long. At 11-all, Levin held three break points on Hoeveler's serve but failed to capitalize. Then at 12-all, deuce, Levin broke Hoeveler with two cross-court passing shots that the Indian star could not lay a racket on. The tall Californian survived several deuces on his own serve to win the set match, 14-12.
The victory climaxed two years of hard work by Levin in learning the Eastern game, particularly the defensive play necessary to break service on clay. Coach Jack Barnaby called the Levin-Hoevler battle "the finest match I've seen in I don't know how long."
Adelsberg Wins
Bernie Adelsberg also looked strong in a 7-5, 6-3 win at two. Rocky Jarvis (four) and Jose Gonzalez (five) demolished their opponents by scores of 6-1, 6-0, and 6-2, 6-1, respectively.
Captain Brian Davis (three) dropped a tight 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 decision, while John Appleby (six) showed the effects of his recent illness in losing, 6-0, 6-0. He served underhanded throughout the match.
The Crimson captured the clinching fifth point with a 7-5, 6-4 win from the third doubles team of Gonzalez and senior Dave Hodges. With the match decided, Harvard's top tandem of Levin and Jarvis fell 7-5, 0-6, 6-2 before the blistering power of the Green's team or Hoeveler and Bob Kirkpatrick.
The second doubles team of Adelsberg and Davis were leading 10-5 in a 12-game set when at 8 p.m. Dartmouth decided it was time to go home.
The Ivy race is so balanced this year that every match between the big five (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Penn, and Dartmouth) has been won by the home team. A continuation of this trend would produce a five-way tie for the crown. At this stage, Harvard would be content with a share.
Read more in News
Social Relations Tutorial