Rookie Casey MacMaster, on the left, and captain Aba Omodele-Lucien teamed up in their doubles match yesterday. The Crimson swept both of its visiting opponents, Illinois State and Fairfield, at the Murr Center. Sophomore Joshua Tchan was key to Harvard’s victories, playing in both matchups.

Playing one match in one day is tiring for most teams.

The Harvard men’s tennis team (11-7), then, displayed extra grit by defeating two opponents within a span of only eight hours yesterday at the Murr Center.

“Often, if you want to get your guys who don’t get to play more match time, you play a doubleheader,” said Crimson coach Dave Fish ’72. “So, we held out and we figured out a strong enough lineup to beat Fairfield.”

The lineup change did not faze Harvard—it showed that the team is deep enough that any player can step up when called to play.

“I thought it was a good day,” Fish said. “We’re exhausted. I’m sure the players are, too. It’s served its purpose.”

These games were a good tune-up with Ivy League play beginning the upcoming Friday against Cornell, the highest ranked team in the division.

HARVARD 4, FAIRFIELD 3

After using a set of players in the first game, Fish changed up his lineup to put out enough force to defeat the weaker Stags (6-6).

“Against Fairfield, that was a pretty tough match,” sophomore Joshua Tchan said. “The rest of the team had to step up and take the challenge.”

After winning the doubles point, the Crimson faced off against the Stags in singles play.

The only athlete to play in both matches on Sunday was Tchan, who was able to finish off his opponent in two sets on court one.

“This was a great one because Josh Tchan played the six earlier and then the one here,” Fish said. “He played a very different match than he had played against the number six. Sometimes people play to a level. He was playing fairly conservatively in the morning. [This afternoon], he just went after it.”

In the matchup of the number threes, senior Alexei Chijoff-Evans easily disposed of his Fairfield opponent, 6-4, 6-3. Chjioff-Evans was able to frustrate his opponent with powerful shots that took his challenger off his game.

On court six, sophomore Tunc Kiymaz won his match, 6-2, 7-6. According to Fish, Kiymaz’s under-pressure forehand winner was crucial in Harvard’s victory over Fairfield.

With these three wins and the doubles point, the Crimson had finished victorious before the other three matches wrapped up.