The Harvard women's varsity tennis team notched victory number one of their eastern slate yesterday afternoon at the Palmer Dixon Courts with an impressive 8-1 shellacking of the Boston University Terriers.

Aided by the inability of Boston University's first singles star Johanna Sleeper to perform due to illness, the Crimson were spotted an early lead which they never relinquished.

With star freshmen Tiina Bougas winning by a forfeit, the heavy burden for the Crimson fell upon the shoulders of junior Martha Roberts, who lived up to her label as "the most powerful woman on the team," beating the Terriers number two player, Diane Connell, 6-2, 6-4.

Near the end of the first set it appeared as if the match would just be a matter of going through the motions for Roberts. But Connel refused to quit, battling back with a series of deep corner volleys.

This brief offensive showing was only temporary, however, as Roberts regained her composure and glided to the key victory.

Occurring at the same time on the center court, fourth-slotter Abby Meiselman copped the first set of her match with Lisa Darland rather easily by a 6-2 score.

Darland hindered Meiselman's effectiveness with a series of lobs and long cross-court volleys in the second set, however, on the way to a 6-3 win.

The final set, the longest and most exciting of the afternoon, was an intense back and forth battle. Meiselman fought back and garnered a well deserved 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 match victory.

In the second set of matches on court one junior captain Meg Meyer lived up to her preseason billing with an impressive thrashing of frustrated Terrier Deidre O'Halloran. Clearly outclassing her opponent, Meyer made very few mistakes as she breezed to an easy victory.

Sophomore Kristin Mertz defeated her number six counterpart with a fine 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 win. Her victory was followed by equally fine performances from Leslie Miller, who thrashed her opponent 6-3, 6-1 from her fifth position, and Patty Vitale, who picked up a two set (6-0, 7-6) win over Bonnie Irwin.

Although the six singles victories clinched the match for the netwomen, they performed almost as well in the doubles competition. After an initial forfeit victory in first doubles. Meyer and Vitale were victorious 6-4, 6-2, while the final match produced Harvard's only defeat of the afternoon as Meiselman and Mertz bowed in a tiebreaker.