In an emotional finale to the Harvard men’s tennis team’s season, the Crimson (14-12, 4-3 Ivy) welcomed Dartmouth (15-11, 3-4) to Cambridge. In light of Senior Day, the squad rolled out a new lineup, promoting seniors into the lineup for their final matches as members of the Harvard team. Despite the Big Green being a solid opponent that notched quality victories against both Princeton and Penn, the Crimson delighted the home crowd by breezing past Dartmouth.

It was a tough weekend for Harvard, despite its 6-1 victorious dogwalk over the No. 44 Yale Bulldogs in its previous home match. With vibes at an all-time high, the Harvard team remained competitive but ultimately struggled on the road against No. 22 Columbia and No. 29 Cornell, losing both matches 4-2.

Still, there was a glimmer of hope for the Crimson as it prepared for the end of the regular season. A solid victory for the team could potentially sway the NCAA tournament selection committee, especially if the cards fell the right way across the league. The Big Green was no slouch team, and a win had the possibility to catapult Harvard into an at-large bid.

In front of a rowdy crowd at the Beren Tennis Center, the Crimson geared up for action with a revitalized doubles lineup. Instead of the usual freshman Nathan Blokhin, senior Elisha Thornton made his mark in doubles play with sophomore Benjamin Privara on court two. Thornton, a doubles specialist who has battled injuries this year, had last played in late January but was fit enough to suit up one last time for Harvard.

On the first court, junior Rohan Murali made up one half of a dynamic partnership with freshman Kolos Kincses. The Murali and Kincses duo snatched up their set 6-2, and soon afterwards Thornton and Privara captured the doubles point for the Crimson by winning comfortably 6-2.

Harvard continued to put its foot on the gas and never let up, a trend that was badly missed over the course of the season. Trotting out with its usual singles lineup, the Crimson maintained its intensity. As it utilized the momentum of the home crowd and the energy of senior day, it was clear that Harvard would win this match.

The Crimson snagged its second point when Privara brushed by senior Henry Ren in dominating fashion on court two, 6-1, 6-0. Soon after, senior Masato Perera got his senior day victory on court five, winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-0.

With the match nearly won, at this point, the real question was not whether the Crimson would win, but rather who would clinch the match for them. Fittingly, another senior, Melchior Delloye, capped off his final match in style, beating junior Yujiro Onuma 6-4, 6-4 on court four to seal the deal and stamp another 4-0 victory for the Crimson. Delloye will notably continue his collegiate tennis career next year at the University of California. Other than No. 56 Murali on court one, Harvard was leading in the other matches, with No. 102 Blokhin ahead on court three 6-3, 5-3, and sophomore Mitchell Lee up a set on court six.

And so, with the Crimson concluding its regular season in dominating fashion, all eyes turned to Monday’s NCAA tournament selection show, in which 64 teams are given the opportunity to battle it out to see who will be crowned the national champion.

Yet, when all was decided and done, Harvard’s name was never called, meaning that for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Division I tennis, the Crimson missed the national tournament. To add insult to injury, the NCAA selected a conference-record five Ivy Leagues to go dancing. In addition to the Ivy League Champion, No. 29 Cornell — which clinched the conference’s automatic bid — the tournament will feature No. 22 Columbia, No. 37 Princeton, No. 40 Penn, and No. 44 Yale.

Though the Harvard team had a rollercoaster of a season, there was still a fair argument for the Crimson to get an at-large bid. Beyond its traditional success over the years, the Crimson recorded some quality wins throughout the season, including a dominant victory over Yale and a gutsy 4-3 victory over Princeton.

However, what ultimately doomed the team was its lack of middle-of-the-pack wins, failing to distinguish itself from the edge of the bubble. Two lopsided losses to Penn and an ugly drop to No. 59 South Florida weren’t great looks on the resume, and the Crimson simply failed to add a marquee win to its season that could sway the committee.

It will be a bittersweet end for Harvard, as the team ended its season with a win against Dartmouth. Several big-name seniors such as Delloye, Perera, and Marc Ktiri were big-time regulars in the lineup, leaving a gap that will be hard to fill.

However, there remains optimism for the Crimson, as Harvard boasts the fifth-best incoming recruit class in the nation. If the program maintains its production from top contributors like Murali and Blokhin while adding top young talent, Harvard is projected to have another shot at a deep NCAA Tournament run next season.

— Staff writer Alex S. Kim can be reached at [email protected].