With the Crimson holding a 6-0 lead entering the final wave of matches, the last three pairings would have no bearing on Harvard emerging with a team win. But senior Ali Farag, Power, and sophomore Nicholas Hopcroft all cruised to straight-set victories to ensure that the day would end on a positive note for the Crimson.
The CSA individual national champion in 2012, Farag endured two close opening games but efficiently dispatched Samuel Kang to earn the win at the number one position.
Playing at number four, Power boosted his win total on the season to five, and Hopcroft made short work of his opponent in the seven spot to win another three-setter for Harvard.
Saturday marked the beginning of a five-match home stand for the Crimson, and the showdown with Princeton represented the team’s first significant test of the year.
“More than a statement to everyone else, it’s a statement to ourselves, to see where we’re at and what we need to improve on,” Power said. “There were some good things today, especially from some of the young guys, so we’re pretty pumped about that.”
—Staff writer David Steinbach can be reached at david.steinbach@thecrimson.com.