Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems

Freshman Jack Li earned himself a singles crown on Sunday, but his wallet didn’t grow any thicker in the process. As a collegiate athlete and thus an amateur, Li must adhere to the NCAA regulations which prohibit such players from earning prize money in such events.

The Open was a USTA-sanctioned event, featuring collegiate players as well as professionals. Competitors in the latter category would be entitled to a $600 prize for the singles title and a $400 prize for the runner-up, as well as a $200 prize for the doubles championship.

But the Crimson swept the events—Li took the singles title, defeating his teammate, senior Chris Chiou, while in the doubles draw the junior-sophomore pairing of Jonathan Chu and Brandon Chiu were victorious. Thus, no money was awarded.

“We’re used to that,” Chiu said. “It’s a rule to we’ve got to abide [by].”

As a result of the rule, the money not conferred entered a pool used to reimburse amateur players for expenses incurred during the tournament. Assistant coach Peter Mandeau indicated that such expenses would be “minimal” for Harvard players, as the students live within walking distance of the courts and do not stay in hotels. The Crimson winners could claim the stringing of rackets or meals missed, but the odds of recovering $600 in expenses for the weekend are slim.

Southbound

While there are hints in the air of spring approaching, there’s nothing like a trip to sunny Florida to remind a Harvard student just how cold Cambridge really is. The No. 21 Crimson will travel next weekend to Bradenton, site of the renowned Bollettieri Tennis Academy, to meet No. 29 Auburn.

This marks the first dual meet for the Crimson after this past weekend’s Open, and of the next five on Harvard’s list, four are against ranked teams.

Topping the list is an end-of-March tour of the Golden State during which the squad will take on No. 11 California and No. 3 Stanford.

While a win over Auburn might not affect the national rankings as significantly as would victories over the Bears or the Cardinal, this weekend’s contest could certainly be a momentum-builder. The Crimson enters Sunday’s match-up riding a mini-streak of two come-from-behind wins, while the Tigers travel to Florida winless in the past two weeks.

“[It will be the] first time playing outdoors,” Chiu said. “But we’re playing well and [have been] working well as a team for the last couple of matches, so we’re pretty confident.”