The Radcliffe varsity tennis team opened its season with a decisive 6-3 victory over Yale Saturday afternoon at Yale. The victory ended a two-year domination of the sport by the Elis who previously crushed Radcliffe, 8-1, and 9-0.

In the singles matches, freshman Denise Thal playing in the number one spot, bowed, 6-0, 6-0, to Yale's Lisa Rosenblum, a three-time All-New England intercollegiate singles champ.

Dominates Matches

Radcliffe dominated the rest of the singles matches, however, losing only the last match as Yale's Linda Littke defeated senior Kathy Agoos, 6-2, 6-2.

Radcliffe sophomore captain Lissa Muscatine, playing the number two spot, edged Yale's Margaret Mercer, 7-6, 6-4, while in a gruelling three-and-a-half hour match, freshman Sukie Macgraw out-fought Linden Havemayer, 7-6, 3-6, 7-5. In the other singles match, freshman Rita Funaro crushed Yale's Janet Rachelson, 6-2, 6-1.

In doubles action, Thal and Muscatine fell to Rosenblum and Mercer, 6-4, 6-1, but doubles combinations Macgraw-Funaro and Wood-Agoos, playing the number two and three spots respectively, easily conquered their opponents, 6-1, 6-4, and 6-0, 6-1.

Captain Muscatine attributed the victory to the team's spirit and poise.

"The pre-season Southern tour was excellent preparation," she said yesterday. "We won four of the tour's six matches and the momentum carried over into our match against Yale."

Muscatine said that if the team can maintain its inspired play, Radcliffe should post its first winning season ever. Radcliffe's first home match is against Brandeis on Wednesday, April 22.