Because labs and sections are sometimes more important than varsity athletics at Harvard, a shorthanded 'Cliffe tennis team dropped a squeaker to mediocre Boston College yesterday, 4-3, at windy B.C.

With a couple of the varsity racketeers sick and another half dozen out with academic conflicts, the weakened Crimson called up three J.V. team members, but a shortage of personnel still forced the forfeit of one doubles match.

Radcliffe jumped to an early lead, as senior Rita Funaro recorded an easy win at the fourth slot over Eagle Melissa Garvan, 6-2, 6-2. Katie Ditzler came back from a 5-1 deficit, grabbing 12 straight games and the match, 7-5, 6-0, from her frustrated opponent.

Patty Wen split sets, taking the second convincingly, 6-2, and the women in white seemed to be on the trail of another victory.

But then the B.C. Eagles broke onto the scorecard, defeating J.V. regulars Perry Heffelfinger and Amy Kuhn at the first doubles position, 6-2, 6-3, and it was a losing battle from there on in.

In the top flight Sally Roberts, competing with a foot injury that impaired her movement on the court, still managed to bring home one more win for the team. Wen lost her third set, and then the last of the junior varsity trio drafted into service dropped a tight one that went the distance, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

That left the match knotted at three each. Adding in the forfeit at number two doubles, the final tally read 4-3, with the Crimson racquetwomen one short.