Though the seventh game of the second set was the turning point, Martire did not blame her loss on the point penalty.

“I didn’t deserve that game, I didn’t deserve that set.” Martire said. “She’s a great competitor. Good job to her.”

In a morning that began with the potential for an all-Crimson final, yesterday’s matches were too much Muth for Harvard.

In her semi-final match, Muth took a tough first set from Lingman before dominating in the second.

“I played right into her game,” Lingman said. “It’s frustrating, because I had plenty of chances in the first set, plenty of game points, but I didn’t convert.”

In the second set, Lingman’s frustration was evident as Muth had her running all over the court.

“She likes to move the ball, hit it right in her strike zone,” Lingman said. “I didn’t move her, didn’t mix up my balls, hit it high...I wasn’t playing smart enough to get her out of her groove.”

Martire, for her part, had a surprisingly easy semifinal against Causevic, a big player who Gordon described as having pro potential.

“I’m thrown for a loop,” Martire said in tears of joy after her nationals-clinching semifinal victory. “I don’t know how that just happened.”

Martire, who usually overpowers her opponents, was facing a heavy-hitter stronger than herself.

“She is really powerful, but was a little inconsistent today,” Martire said. “The key was to get it back in the three-quarters court [between service line and base line] and to stay in the points and not let up.”

Martire played brilliantly against Causevic and maintained that level of play for one and a half set against Muth. Even after losing the second set, Martire played through pain and fought hard to win the match.

“I knew I had a chance to win,” Martire said. “But I was playing my best all weekend, and it’s hard to keep that going.”

Despite the loss to Muth, Martire is still basking in her win over Causevic and the invitation she earned to the Indoor Nationals in Dallas on November 7-9.

“I am ecstatic—I can’t believe this weekend,” Martire said. “I can’t tell you how happy I am.”

—Staff Writer David A. Weinfeld can be reached at weinfeld@fas.harvard.edu.