“We’ve been turning it over like a Laundromat just so the guys who are playing No. 2 and 3 don’t get their confidence shattered,” Fish explained. “When the confidence is there, you let them go [to the higher positions]. Its just that close [up and down the lineup].”

HARVARD 5, PRINCETON 2

In the first match of the weekend, Harvard outplayed the Tigers for an anything-but-easy 5-2 victory.

“That was one of the closest 5-2 victories you’ll ever see,” Fish said. “The difference between a 5-2 win and a 5-2 loss is just a few points. They were coming on so hard at the end...I don’t think we’ve played a team that has been so intense.”

The Crimson’s ever-strong doubles play resulted in a 1-0 lead to start off, as the Harvard No. 1 team came through with a 9-8 victory and the No. 2 team held off break point after break point for an 8-6 win.

“Getting the doubles point, that dampened [Princeton] a little bit,” Fish said.

Chijoff-Evans rebounded from a 6-0 loss in the first to win the next two sets, 6-4, 6-4. His opponent, Charlie Brosens, made only one unforced error in the first eight games and was up a set and a break when the Crimson junior began coming back.

“I was playing really poorly in the first set and finally got some momentum going,” Chijoff-Evans said. “I carried it into [the match on Saturday].”

No. 4 Nguyen—down a set and two breaks—began a comeback act of his own. As the momentum aggregated for Harvard, the players began to take control.

“The lift effect of having Lex and Andy start to power back was huge,” Fish said. “It was a great display of fortitude by our team. I was very grateful to get out of there with a win.”

Although Nguyen eventually dropped his match, Tchan, Felton, and Schultz, won at the No. 3, 5, and 6 spots, respectively, pushing the Harvard total to five points and giving the Crimson the match.

—Staff writer Charlie Cabot can be reached at ccabot@college.harvard.edu.