The junior had been sidelined by tendonitis of his hip flexor and adductor tendon stemming from a groin injury he suffered as a senior in high school that has plagued him since.

“It will never feel normal again, but it’s not injured,” Whitman said. “You just have to learn to deal with that fact that it will never feel normal again.”

In fact, Whitman has come to see the injury as a blessing in disguise.

“I’ve always won matches just because I’m faster and fitter than other people,” Whitman said. “Having an injury like this, playing a long match is a liability, so I need to do more work with my racket and less with my legs.”

Against Williams, Whitman admitted he was “extremely nervous.”

It didn’t show, though, as Whitman jumped out to an early lead in all three of his games before his concentration began to wane. Even so, he pulled out a 9-4, 9-6, 9-1 victory.

Now, Harvard has three weeks off before it plays host to Dartmouth on Jan. 29. The Crimson will spend intersession training in Toronto, but its main focus for the rest of the month will be making sure its full lineup will be available when it faces the Big Green.

—Staff writer Alan G. Ginsberg can be reached at aginsber@fas.harvard.edu.