The varsity tennis team, warming up for two tough weekend contests, destroyed a helpless Engineer squad, 8-1, yesterday at MIT to collect its fifth victory of the season.

The MIT netmen offered little challenge to the Crimson, who won even without the services of flu-stricken captain Ken Lindner and freshman John Horn. Both players will return to action on Friday and Saturday, when Harvard travels south to face defending league champion Columbia and a strong Pennsylvania squad.

The Crimson swept all six singles matches in straight sets. John Ingard's performance highlighted the contest, as the junior from Lincoln, Mass., playing in the number one spot, downed MIT's best player, Will Young, 7-6, 6-3.

Easy Disposal

Sophomore Gary Reiner and junior Chip Baird, in the second and third slots respectively, easily disposed of their opponents. Reiner crushed Simpson, 6-1, 6-1, while Baird downed Lum, 6-1, 6-2.

Junior Hugh Hyde, moving up from the sixth to the fourth position, edged Zouros, 7-6, in the first set and then won six straight games to cruise to victory.

Veteran Charlie Krusen defeated Shjeflo, 6-4, 6-2, and sophomore Jim Levy, playing in the sixth singles slot, demolished Datesh, 6-1, 6-1. Levy teamed with Ingard to form the first doubles pair, and the two fell to Young and Simpson, 6-3, 6-4, for Harvard's only loss of the day.

Baird and Reiner swept to a comfortable 6-2, 6-4 win over Zouros and Shjeflo in the second doubles match, while Hyde and Kursen nipped Datesh and Lum, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

"It was a solid match which showed the unusual depth Harvard has; we beat a good MIT team with two of our starters out of action," Hyde said. "The team seems unified, and though the competition this weekend is tough, we'll be looking for two wins."

The Crimson currently stands 5-2, with a 1-0 league record.