FLUSHING, N.Y. — The No. 16-seed Columbia men's tennis team rolled through the first round of the 2019 NCAA Championship, earning a 4-0 victory over Bryant on a rainy and cold Friday afternoon at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
 
"I kind of felt with all the weather conditions we wanted to get this match over real quick, and we just did the right things," said Columbia Alumni and Friends Head Coach of Men's Tennis, Bid Goswami, after the match.
 
Bryant (20-11) put up a good fight in doubles, but the Lions came away with the early lead after posting victories on courts one and three. On the bottom court, junior Adam Ambrozy and sophomore Jason Lui combined for a 6-1 triumph before 30th-ranked Jack Lin and William Matheson sealed the doubles point with a 6-3 victory at one.
 
The Lions (18-3) were cruising, earning first-set victories on all six courts before play was paused due to rain. Both teams would have to wait it out for an hour before returning to action.
 
Upon return to play, senior Victor Pham quickly turned in a 6-0, 6-0 result to bring Columbia's lead to two. Fellow senior Timothy Wang followed suit, carding a 6-2, 6-0 victory to bring the Lions' within one of the team win.
 
It was sophomore Austen Huang who ultimately clinched the first-round win after posting a 6-3, 6-2 defeat at No. 6 singles.
 
Columbia will return to action tomorrow, taking on No. 34 Penn State, with a new start time of 3:30 p.m. at the Dick Savitt Tennis Center due to rain. The contest will serve as a rematch from the Lions' first-round bout against the Nittany Lions in the 2016 NCAA Tournament in Charlottesville, Virginia, where Penn State claimed a 4-3 decision to advance.
 
"We all show up with this goal in mind, and when the time comes for us to step on the court, we're able to play with a lot of freedom and a lot of joy and I think that shows in the results. We're ready," said Wang. "I think tomorrow will be another dog fight, but we're looking forward to it and I think we're just going to enjoy it."
 
For the latest on the Columbia men's tennis, follow @ColumbiaMTennis on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.