Columbia University
BOSTON COLLEGE
Men's Tennis Beats Boston College in Season Opener, 5-2
1/23/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
NEW YORK - The Columbia men's tennis team opened its 2010 season with a win at the Dick Savitt Tennis Center, as the Lions defeated Boston College, 5-2.
The match opened with the Lions sweeping the doubles point to go up, 1-0. In the biggest win of the day, seniors Jonathan Wong and Mihai Nichifor upset a Boston College duo that had earned a national ranking. Thomas Nolan and Erik Kreutzer held a No. 27 ranking in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's January 4th rankings, but fell to Wong and Nichifor, 8-3.
Sophomore Haig Schneiderman and first-year Nathaniel Gery had a win in the No. 2 doubles spot, as they beat BC's Jonathan Schroeder and Akash Muppidi, 8-3. And Rajeev Deb-Sen and Kevin Kung made it a sweep, as they defeated Adam Davidson and Billy Grokenberger, 8-6.
Up 1-0 heading into the singles matches, Columbia needed only three victories to take the team win, and the Lions got four from the bottom of the lineup. At Nos. 1 and 2, Wong and Nichifor fought well, but ended up falling to their Eagle counterparts. It was in the Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6 spots that Columbia got the needed points.
Schneiderman earned a win at No. 3, beating Schroeder, 6-2, 6-2. And two first-years had impressive wins in their first team match, as Cyril Bucher had a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 4, and Gery won his match at No.6, 6-1, 6-2. Deb-Sen notched the final win for the Lions, as he took a win at No. 5 over Alex Skinner, 6-1, 6-4.
Up next, the Lions will head to Mississippi to take part in the ITA National Indoors Kick-Off weekend, facing off first against Indiana, Saturday, January 30 at 10 a.m., before advancing to either the consolation or championship match, Sunday, January 31.
Columbia 5, Boston College 2
Doubles
1. Jonathan Wong/Mihai Nichifor (CU) def No. 27 Thomas Nolan/Erik Kreutzer (BC), 8-3
2. Haig Schneiderman/Nathaniel Gery (CU) def. Jonathan Schroeder/Akash Muppidi (BC), 8-3
3. Rajeev Deb-Sen/Kevin Kung (CU) def. Adam Davidson/Billy Grokenberger (BC), 8-6
Singles
1. Thomas Nolan (BC) def. Jonathan Wong (CU), 6-3, 4-6, 7-6
2. Akash Muppidi (BC) def. Mihai Nichifor (CU), 7-6, 3-6, 6-3
3. Haig Schneiderman (CU) def. Jonathan Schroeder (BC), 6-2, 6-2
4. Cyril Bucher (CU) def. Erik Kreutzer (BC), 6-1, 6-3
5. Rajeev Deb-Sen (CU) def. Alex Skinner (BC), 6-1, 6-4
6. Nathaniel Gery (CU) def. Brian Locklear (BC), 6-1, 6-2
Players Mentioned
