2/25/2015 2:15:00 PM | Men's Tennis
| vs. SUNY Binghamton (2-6, 0-2 MAC) | |
| Date Venue Location Social Hashtags Match Notes |
Friday, Feb. 27 Dick Savitt Tennis Center New York, N.Y. @GoColumbiaLions | @ColumbiaMTennis #TurnItBlue Columbia Notes |
NEW YORK – The 13th-ranked Columbia men's tennis team will continue its homestand Friday, Feb. 27 as SUNY Binghamton stops by the Dick Savitt Tennis Center. The Lions 4 p.m. match with the Bearcats will be closer of a double header as the No. 57 Columbia women hosts Boston University at noon.
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LOWDOWN ON THE NO. 13 LIONS (4-2)
No. 13 Columbia holds a 4-2 record in dual matches this season. Three of the Lions wins have come over top-20 opponents.
Winston Lin, Columbia's top singles player and the 13th-ranked singles player in the country, has been consistent, compiling a 3-2 record in matches that have reached a decision. Ashok Narayana has buoyed Columbia at the fourth spot with a 3-1 mark. Against St. John's Feb. 21, the senior subbed in at No. 3 and took down his Red Storm opponent to bring his dual singles ledger to 4-1. Dragos Ignat, the 76th-ranked player in the nation, has held down the second slot with a 3-3 record. Mike Vermeer has been strong on the fifth and sixth courts, as the junior owns a 1-0 record in both positions.
For three straight outings, the Lions have captured the doubles point. Vermeer and Lin's 4-0 mark at No. 2 lead the way as the duo partner up for the 58th-pair in the ITA. Vermeer appears in the rankings with his sophomore partner Richard Pham at 36 while Max Schnur and Narayana represent the Columbia blue at 16th.
SCOUTING SUNY BINGHAMTON (2-6)
After opening the dual schedule with victories over Bryant (6-1) and Marist (4-3), Binghamton has dropped six straight matches to slip to 2-6 on the year. Three defeats were 3-4 decisions and the latest Bearcats lost came to fellow Ivy Leaguer, then-No. 61 Brown, 5-2.
Sid Hazarika has played the majority of time on the first singles court for Binghamton with the junior boasting a 3-4 mark. Eliott Hureau, meanwhile, holds the best record on the team at 5-2, all coming at the third position.
In doubles, Hazarika teams up with Ismael Dinia for the Bearcats' top tandem and hold a 4-1 ledger. On court two, Hureau and Robin Lesage are 5-1.
WE MEET AGAIN
The Lions and Bearcats will meet for the third straight season with Columbia owning both victories. Last season, the Lions swept Binghamton, 5-0.
MORE READING: No. 27 Men's Tennis Takes Down Binghamton, 5-0
IN THE RANKINGS
After their performance at ITA Division I Men's National Team Indoor Championships, the Lions posted the program's highest ITA Ranking at No. 11 in the latest ITA Rankings. A week later, Columbia remains in the top-15 at No. 13.
Seven Ivy League men's tennis teams appear on the national list with the Lions leading the way, while Harvard (22) and Princeton (23) each landing in the top-25.
As of Feb. 24, Columbia singles players, Winston Lin ranks 13th in the ITA followed by Dragos Ignat at 76th. In doubles, Max Schnur and Ashok Narayana rank 16th in the country while Mike Vermeer is on the 36th and 58th doubles teams with Richard Pham and Winston Lin, respectively.
| DATE Jan. 6 Jan. 20 Jan. 28 Feb. 3 Feb. 17 Feb. 24 |
Rank 16 16 13 15 11 13 |
RELATED LINK: ITA RANKINGS
REWRITING HISTORY
Just about a month into the season, the Lions have already rewritten the program's history books. Here are a few highlights of what Columbia has already accomplished in 2014-15:
· Won ITA Kick-Off Weekend for the first time since appearing in the event seven years ago.
· Earned the first bid to ITA National Team Indoors for the first time in 20 years.
· Defeated the highest ranked opponent in then-No. 14 Notre Dame, 4-3, in the ITA Kick-Off Championship Jan. 25.
· Upstaged its defeat of then 14th-ranked Fighting Irish, with a 4-3 victory over then-No. 12 Cal in the back draw of ITA National Team Indoors Feb. 14.
· Earned the program's highest ITA Ranking at No. 11.
LAST TIME OUT
The 11th-ranked Columbia men's tennis team opened up its home schedule with a 6-1 defeat of No. 73 St. John's at the Dick Savitt Tennis Center Saturday afternoon.
Columbia took a lead in the race as it quickly captured the doubles point with wins at No. 2 and 3. It didn't take long for the Lions to clinch the match in singles play as Columbia won five of six matches, including the first four, to secure the victory.
MORE READING: No. 11 Men's Tennis Opens Home Play with 6-1 Win over No. 73 St. John's
UP NEXT
The Lions close out their three-match homestand Saturday, March 7 against Monmouth.
