The Harvard netmen's hopes for second place in the Ivy League were dashed Saturday, as a last-minute comeback fell just short as they bowed to Princeton, 5-4, in their season finale.

Down 4-0, the racquetmen rallied to take four straight matches before Ken Lindner and Gary Rowbotham, at first doubles, lost to their opponents in three sets.

The loss relegated the Crimson to third place in the Ivy League, behind champion Columbia and Princeton.

The key factor in Saturday's loss was the failure of the top men to produce. The Crimson's one through four men were all defeated, although Ken Lindner at two (6-3, 4-6, 6-7) and Tom Loring at four (6-7, 7-6, 3-6) took their opponents to a third set before bowing.

Captain Randy Barnett, at number five, started the netmen's comeback by defeating his opponent, 6-3, 6-4. Chip Baird at six followed suit, holding on to win, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.

With the score 4-2, in Princeton's favor, Gary Reiner and John Ingard led off the doubles competition with a win at number two, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Loring and Baird then easily handled their opponents, 7-6 6-3 to knot the contest at 4-4.

The stage was then set for the deciding match. Lindner and Rowbotham initially appeared to have the edge, winning the first set, 6-3, but then ran totally out of gas, as their foes crushed them in the last two sets, 6-4, 6-1.

The loss climaxed a season of ups and downs for the racquetmen. When number one man Harris Masterson quit the team before the season began, their prospects looked bleak. They then surprised everyone by reeling off seven straight victories, only to be brought back to ground by an overwhelming Columbia contingent which beat them, 6-3. This marks the second straight year that the netmen have gone through the rest of their schedule undefeated only to be edged by the Lions and Tigers.