The first doubles match between deLone and Elmuts of Harvard and Lane and Piorkowski of B.C. was canceled because one of the Eagles players withdrew at the last minute. claiming an injury.

However, the real reason the had less to do with injuries and more to do with rankings. The B.C. doubles team is currently ranked first in the region, entitling it to one of the one two invitations to the NCAA tournament.

But Harvard's duo is ranked third. If the Eagles pair had lost yesterday, they might have risked a certain trip to the NCAA's.

So instead, they decided to sit yesterday out.

"If we had beaten them it would have been a three-way tie [between the top double teams from Harvard, B.C. and William and Mary]," deLone explained. "The coaches probably would have voted for them since they beat us in the fall, but I guess they didn't want to take that chance."

HARVARD, 7-1 at Boston College Tennis Center

Singles 1.DeLone (Harvard) def. Piorkowski (Boston College), 5-7, 6-3, 6-4' 2. Lane (BC) def, Elmuts (H), 6-1, 6-3; 3. Cooper (H) def. Barker (BC), 6-2, 6-1; 4. Parker (H) def. Gabbett (BC), 6-0, 6-4; 5. Passent (H) def. Talarico (BC), 6-2, 6-3' 6. Harris (H) def. deWitt (BC), 7-5, 6-3.

Doubles 1.DeLone/Eimuts (H) vs. Lane/Piorkowski, did not play; 2. Parker/Passent (H) def. Gabbett/Talarico (BC), 6-4, 7-5; 3. Cooper/McNabb (H) def. Baker/deWitt, 6-4, 6-1.