No. 14 Harvard claimed his 30th Ivy League title in an impressive 4-0 win over Yale on Sunday, April 24. The sweep capped the Crimson conference’s undefeated record for the season and marks their first outright win since 2008.

“We went out and played really good tennis, and I’m really, really proud of what we were able to accomplish,” said senior captain Brian Shi, who was in second place.

Doubles proved to be a deciding factor in the match, with Harvard winning two of three tiebreakers to secure the doubles point. At one point, Yale was leading on all three courts, but after seeing the loss on Court 2, the Crimson dug deeper for victory. The duo of Shi and Milavsky on court 1 beat Cody Lin and Renaud Lefevre, 7-6 (7-4), until the tiebreaker. Two pitches away, Steven Sun and Henry von der Schulenburg picked up an equally thrilling victory over Michael Sun and Luke Neal, 7-6 (7-3).

“We [Shi and Milavsky] were also down early, but I knew once we got a break the momentum would be on our side,” Shi recalled after the game. “When a crowd is out there I think it’s really impossible not to bring the energy, so honestly I think [the crowd’s energy] really kept us in the doubles match.

Doubles strategy has been the focus of the coaching staff all season, and with the Crimson taking the doubles point in every conference game, the tactic is working. Scott Mead ’77 head coach for men’s tennis, Andrew Rueb ’95, worked extensively with the team on doubles games throughout the season.

“A singles point margin seems small, but it’s actually a big advantage, and I think it also puts a lot of pressure on Yale to be perfect,” Rueb explained.

The pressure worked: Yale couldn’t win a single match against Harvard in singles. Ronan Jachuck made quick work of his match on Court 4, beating Aidan Reilly 6-0, 6-2. Next to finish was Steven Sun, whose contest against Walker Oberg ended in an equally decisive 6-2, 6-1 win.

“It takes a lot to win four singles matches against us,” coach Rueb said. “They’re not only a talented team, but they’re also a very brave team, and that’s what has separated this year from some others.”

After wins on courts 4 and 5, the Crimsons found themselves trailing 3-0 in the competition, needing only one more point to conclude. It all came down to Shi.

“Deep down I was thinking ‘Oh wow, this might come to mind,'” Shi said. “Honestly, I think at that point I had a bit of nervous energy, but I tried to keep it one point at a time and take my time, not get too excited and ahead. me.”

Shi won the final game of the competition, which was also the team’s senior day. Shi easily kept his composure to claim the final point needed for the Ivy League title with a perfect 6-4, 6-0 win over Michael Sun. The win capped off the regular season and showcased the senior captain’s talents on the pitch.

“It was only normal on senior day that Brian was the one to pick up the slack and get us across the finish line,” coach Rueb said after the game. “Brian, his leadership and his warmth will be sorely missed, and just watching him play.”

That sentiment is certainly echoed by the rest of the team, as evidenced by their support for Shi as he finished the match. It was an emotional moment for the team, especially for Shi.

“It was great to see all the guys right next to me, especially on that last point. They were standing there with their hands on their shoulders; for me it was a really special moment,” the senior captain said. “As soon as we won that point, all the emotions came out of the whole season.”

While the regular season is over, there is still work to be done: Harvard will now move on to the NCAA Tournament. Due to their positioning in the top 16, they will host the first two rounds of the competition at home.

“Now we have a full week, 10 days or more, until our first NCAA game, so we have some time to bounce back and push for this last half of the season here,” Coach Rueb said.

The NCAA Championships will be held May 19-28. The regional championships, which the Crimson will host in Cambridge, begin on Friday, May 6.

—Editor Caroline Gage can be reached at [email protected]