Vicky Dodd left the Harvard tennis match early on Saturday, but her boyfriend, captain John Levin, and his two classmates stayed around long enough to pull the Crimson out of the doldrums and push it past spirited Yale, 6-3, at Soldiers' Field.

Harvard needed a victory over the Bulldogs to clinch a tie with Princeton for the EITA title for the second consecutive year, and seniors Levin, Rocky Jarvis and Terry Oxford, competing in their final varsity match, went after it with incredible determination.

Levin clobbered Eli captain Pete Heydemann 6-2, 6-1 at number one, then watched Jarvis wipe out Ron Netter in straight sets at number two, 6-2, 6-4. At number three. Oxford defeated Barry Svigals, 6-0, 6-2.

With three of the necessary five points wrapped up, however, the roof began to crumble over the Crimson's head.

Yale's fourth man, Lathrop Gates, upset Larry Terrell in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, and junior Butch Kawakami, substituting for injured Chris Nielsen at number six, dropped two 7-5 sets to the Eli's Dan Tansey.

Meanwhile, Bill Washauer was losing to Pete McPartland at number five, and the probable Crimson victory was suddenly in doubt.

Washauer Victory

But Washauer, undefeated since the Southern trip and one of the squad's best clutch players, took the second set, 6-1, then rallied to break McPartland's service in the third and went on to win, 6-2, virtually assuring the Crimson of victory.

After Washauer's win, Levin and Jarvis destroyed Heydemann and Tansey, 6-1, 6-2, at number one doubles.

Lip

After missing a devastating forehand slam in the second set, Levin glanced at Haydemann and said, "I really wanted to demolish you that time."

Kawakami and Washauer put away Netter and Svigals, 7-5, 6-2, at second doubles to provide the sixth Harvard point, and at the meaningless third doubles, Gates and Mike Mueller dumped Oxford and Terrell, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Cold Dinner

"The seniors really wanted to get them out of the way as soon as possible," Levin said after the match. "Our break-up dinner at Locke-Ober's was getting cold."

The Crimson had plenty to celebrate. Penn, with whom Harvard and Princeton were tied, had dropped a 5-4 decision to Army on Friday, eliminating them from the title chase.