Since the season began, Harvard coach Jack Barnaby has spoken of closing the gap between his racquetwomen and national champion Princeton. The gap has yet to be closed.

Saturday, the Tigers handed the Crimson its first loss of the season, trouncing Harvard, 6-1, at Hemenway Gymnasium.

Dissenting Opinion

Courtney Stimpson prevented a shutout by sweeping Princeton's Sarah Thornton, 15-1, 15 5, 16-15, in the seventh slot, but the Tigers dominated the rest of the day's proceedings.

In the first position, Joan Maguire breezed by Harvard's Becky Tung, 15-5, 15-10, 17-14. Maguire won the first two games easily, then overcame a 14-12 deficit to complete the sweep.

"Becky's a very good player," Maguire said, "but I felt she didn't have her best day."

Lower Class

Crimson veterans Sarah Mleczko and Margo McGlade fought hard in their second- and fourth-slot matches, respectively, but each was simply out-classed by her Tiger opponent.

Nancy Gengler disposed of Mleczko, 15-6, 15-1, 15-4, while Sue Foster over-powered McGlade, 15-7, 15-8, 15-7.

In the third spot, freshman Lisa Harrison was told that Princeton's Kris Kinney "hated people who hit power shots. The strategy didn't work," Harrison admitted after her three-game match. Although both the first and last games were seesaw battles, Kinney prevailed each time to win, 15-10, 15-5, 15-11.

Harder They Fall

"Lisa's hard serve threw me off a bit a first," Kinney said, "but I made the shots before she did."

Another freshman, Jackie Corrigan, gave Princeton's Ann Clark "a lot of trouble" in their fifth-position match, before losing, 13-16, 15-10, 15-3, 15-9. "I constantly had to stay out front," Clark said later. "She has a good, hard serve."

Louise Ober completed the Tigers' domination with a 15-10, 15-8, 15-10 victory over Harvard captain Jenny Stone.