The points seemed to only get better and better. Both sides fought for every ball, often with someone ending up on the ground after diving for a shot. Styperek and Lee had a match point at 7-6, but Rutgers' serve held and tied the set at 7-7. A few minutes later, the teams started a championship-deciding tiebreaker.

Things started poorly for the Crimson. Lee lost both his service points and Harvard went down 3-0. The team closed to within 4-3, but that was it. Schweitzer closed it out and the Rutgers pair won 9-8 (7-5).

Despite the doubles loss, it was a fairly successful way for the young team to start out its season. All six freshmen got a taste of collegiate action, playing against adequate competition like Nebraska, Rutgers, Alabama and St. John's.

Co-captain Anthony Barker, who had fallen 6-0, 6-0 to Hadzialic in the first round, came away with the "A" singles consolation trophy. His opponent, Harvard freshman Ryan Browne, who lost in the second round, was ill on Sunday and thus unable to play.

Others fared well, too. Freshman Cliff Nguyen won his first- and second-round matches in straight sets before falling to Choo. In the "B" flight, junior Dalibor Snyder advanced to the semis before losing a close one to Turner, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. Co-captain Mike Rich also made it to the semis before Tongoona beat him in a third-set tiebreaker.

The Crimson's next action is in Lexington, Ky., where it plays individual singles and doubles tournaments at the University of Kentucky Fluitt Invitational, Sept. 29-Oct. 1.