The Harvard tennis team left for Tarrytown, New York, yesterday afternoon on the start of a two-day, two-contest road trip against Columbia and Princeton. An improving Columbia team will host the racquetmen today and undefeated Princeton will welcome the Crimson tomorrow, for the biggest game of the season.

Harvard is strongly favored to beat the Lions this afternoon but is without question an underdog to the Tigers tomorrow.

The one change in the Crimson lineup is at the number six spot. Sophomore John Nielsen beat out Steve Devereux earlier this week for the position. Nielsen did not start this season because he had injured his wrist in a bicycle accident. He was 9-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles for the freshmen team. He rose from number four to number one last year.

Commenting on Columbia, Crimson coach Jack Barnaby said this is "the first good team Columbia's had in many years." Over the past decades, Harvard has compiled a 30-0 record against the Lions. Last year, the Crimson downed the Lions, 7-2.

Unreflected Battles

When Columbia played Princeton earlier this season, Princeton won, 8-1. But the score did not reflect the four matches which were tough battles for the Tiger team. The Lions won the number two doubles and put up three hard fights in the singles competition.

The general consensus is that Columbia has some tougher guys than before but that the Harvard tennis team should still come out on top.

On Saturday, the Crimson will face its biggest challenge. The racquetmen are hoping for an upset victory over Princeton, and for Princeton's defeating Penn, so that all three teams can tie for first place as they did last year. In 1968 Princeton beat Harvard, 7-2, and through the years the Tigers have complied a 32-11 record over the Crimson team.

Junior Bobby Goeltz is the number one Tiger player and should give Crimson captain John Levin a hard match with high set scores.

Richard Howell is number two man from Princeton who will face Rocky Jarvis. Howell is undefeated this season and might psyche our Jarvis, who has had at least one bad day this year.

The only Princeton senior in the lineup is Win Irwin, who will play against number three Terry Oxford, also a senior. Irwin might have difficulty against Oxford, who unexpectedly went 13-0 last year at the number four slot.

Princeton's weakest positions are at numbers four and five. Tigermen Andy Krusen and Scott Rogers both had a hard time against the Lions this season. And Bill Washauer, the Crimson's number five player, won the number five and six singles championship in last fall's intercollegiate tournament.

Recuperating

Recuperated John Nielson should fight well against Rick Weir at number six.