Harvard Open Wrap/Preview of Upcoming Homestand, including #3 Virginia

Wrap Up on the Harvard Open/ A Preview of a Three-Match Homestand (including #3 UVA!)

Boy, what a great day of tennis followed my last email. After #1 seeds Roy and Durant took out Howard and Andres in a great semis, Roy took his first Harvard Open Singles title, defeating #1 seed Ville Luikko in a great three-set battle. The match was all Luikko for a set and a half. He led 6-3 and 3-2, with a break point to go ahead 4-2. But Roy, as in “the fresh legs of youth” Roy, hung on to hold serve and then break Luikko at love. By then it was clear that Luikko’s legs were gone completely, and that it was only a matter of time. Roy charged all the way, gaining momentum point by point, and encouraged by the unearned points that Luikko was ceding to him. Title to Roy in three.

In the doubles finals, it was a great match-up between #1 seeds Roy and Durant against former world #1 Don Johnson and Andrew Rueb ’95. Roy and Durant captured their second straight Harvard Open with a straight set win over Rueb and Johnson. The crowd was treated to a doubles smorgasbord, as they enjoyed the work of four master chefs.

Next year, put this one on your schedule.



Clear your schedule for some great tennis this week. On Wednesday evening at 6pm, we host Manhattan College. This match had to be rescheduled due to a van mishap for Manhattan. The Crimson is hoping to reverse the result from last fall, in which Manhattan prevailed 4-3. Manhattan boasts a quite extraordinary cast of international players. Four years ago, Manhattan was not on the tennis map. They surely are now!

On Friday at noon, we host the Virginia Cavaliers, #3 in the nation, here in Boston to play their ACC partners Boston College. UVA will play a double-header, with us in the afternoon, and BC in the evening at 6pm. Virginia, under the charismatic leadership of Coach Brian Boland, recently made it to the semis of the National Indoor Team Championships in Chicago. Their number one, #4 Somdev Devvarman, was a finalist in the NCAA Championships last May, so this is one you don’t want to miss.

On Friday evening, we’ll also be hosting an informal dinner in honor of the late Ned Weld, in whose name the Men’s Spring Trip will now be named. Harvard Tennis alumns are welcome to join us if we hear from you immediately. Please write me asap at Davefish1@aol.com.