The coach of the Northeastern women's varsity tennis team was pretty upset yesterday when Radcliffe threw its junior varsity against her charges. Her anger turned to downright embarrasment though, when the 'Cliffe J.V. netters took the match, 4-3, at the soggy Soldiers Field courts.

"I came here under the impression that we would be playing the varsity," Northeastern mentor Dorett Hope said before the match. "Last year, we beat Radcliffe's J.V.'s 5-0."

Combat Experience

The scheduling error was all to Radcliffe's advantage yesterday. While the varsity got in some important practice time before Saturday's Ivy Tournament championship, the J.V.'s got valuable combat experience tussling with Northeastern.

Playing first singles, freshman Terry Clarke lost a three-set heartbreaker to Northeastern's Kathy Burke, 0-6, 6-0, 7-5. In the third set, Clarke broke Burke's serve to tie the score at four apiece. After trading games to knot the set five all, Burke squeezed out the next two games to win the match-winning set, 7-5.

Sheila Butler, at number two, evened the score for Radcliffe, beating Jan Bickford, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, with overwhelming serves. Butler was not satisfied with her strokes, despite victory. "I played like a crusty, middle-aged woman who bagged bridge for tennis," she said.

Clark Lost

Radcliffe's Janet Clark lost at number three, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, after winning five straight games in the third set. Nini Cohen, at number four, avenged Clarke's loss with the easiest singles victory of the day. She beat Leslie Benson, 6-3, 6-0.

Playing on a particularly soggy clay court that deadened the bounce of the ball, Radcliffe's number five, Perry Heffelfinger dropped a marathon, 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 match to Karen Dunn.

The 'Cliffe doubles teams found things a little easier. Marsha Davenport and Yorika Yasukawa won, 6-2, 6-1, at first doubles while Nini Cohen and Judy Cokier cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 victory.