In the round of 16, Roiter had trouble keeping her focus. She went up 4-2, and then 5-4 in the first, but couldn't hold on to take the set. The seventh-seeded Shafran took the second set in a breeze.

"I felt like I really could've won that match. I just lost momentum," Roiter said.

In doubles, Roiter and Granat never really got started and went down easily to the powerful Brown duo.

Graham said that although the pair performed well together at the Yale Invitational five weeks ago, defeating tough teams from Syracuse and Pennsylvania, they "hadn't played together since then."

"We can be a good team, but we were just kind of thrown on court together for this tournament," said Granat, who has been playing doubles with Parker for several weeks.

The freshmen duo also went on court late Friday night, after Roiter had played two singles matches and Granat had been sitting idle all day.

Graham said that Harvard's less-than-stellar fall season does not mean the year is lost.

"We've definitely found reason for optimism," the coach said. "History will repeat itself. This season reminds me so much of last fall. We had promise, but didn't fulfill expectations."

"But then we went on to have a fairy-tale Ivy season in the spring," he said, referring to the Crimson's 1992 league title.

"This winter, we're going to have to work hard and see what kind of commitment the players are willing to give to repeat that."

In other words, happy endings come only to those who really want them.