Harvard University Team Page
NORMAN, Okla. – After a dramatic, 4-3 win over No. 30 Notre Dame Saturday, the No. 28 Harvard men's tennis team met a stiff challenge from host No. 8 Oklahoma Sunday with the Sooners taking a 4-0 victory in the ITA Kickoff finale. Harvard moves to 1-1 on the season in dual matches.
The doubles matches were closely contested and the Crimson and Sooners stayed close through the early going. Service breaks went the way of the hosts, however, and the top team of Shaun Chaudhuri and Casey MacMaster dropped an 8-4 decision to Costin Paval and Dane Webb. Nicky Hu and Andy Nguyen, Harvard's second tandem, stood tied at 7-7 in their match when Nicholas Mahlangu and Alex Steinroeder fell, 8-5, as Oklahoma clinched the doubles point.
Harvard started singles play in a 2-0 hole, having to forfeit the No. 6 match. Axel Alvarez Llamas took down rookie Kelvin Lam, 6-2, 6-0 to put the hosts within one point of clinching the match. Steinroeder battled hard in the second singles slot, but Guillermo Alcorta proved too strong in a 6-4, 6-3 final, sealing the 4-0 win for the Sooners. Hu claimed the first set against Webb at No. 3, but the two weren't able to complete their match as Alcorta's win stopped the action.
The tough road continues for Harvard next weekend when it travels to New York to take on St. John's and Alabama at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
OU 4, Harvard 0
Doubles
1. Paval/Webb (OU) def. Chaudhuri/MacMaster (Harvard), 8-4
2. Alcorta/Alvarez Llamas (OU) vs. Hu/A. Nguyen (Harvard), 7-7 dnf
3. Siributwong/Stakhovsky (OU) def. Mahlangu/Steinroeder (Harvard), 8-5
Singles
1. Costin Paval (OU) vs. Shaun Chaudhuri (Harvard), 6-2, dnf
2. Guillermo Alcorta (OU) vs. Alex Steinroeder (Harvard), 6-4, 6-3
3. Dane Webb (OU) vs. Nicky Hu (Harvard), 4-6, 6-2, dnf
4. Axel Alvarez Llamas (OU) def. Kelvin Lam (Harvard), 6-2, 6-0
5. Nick Papac (OU) vs. Conor Haughey (Harvard), 6-4, dnf
6. Forfeited by Harvard