No. 21 Lions Blank Oklahoma State, 4-0

Sunday, January 29

Chapel Hill, N.C.

11:00 AM

Columbia University

Oklahoma State

1/29/2023 5:11:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score (PDF)

Columbia posts its first dual win of the spring season

By: Garret Sulak

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Coming off a loss to Harvard on Saturday, the No. 21 men's tennis team rebounded in a big way Sunday in the consolation match of the ITA Kickoff Weekend as the Lions cruised to a 4-0 win against Oklahoma State.

The win puts the Lions back at .500 (1-1) to start the spring dual slate. Columbia handed the Cowboys their second loss of the season as Oklahoma State dropped to 5-2 overall.

The duo of Roko Horvat and Theo Winegar got the afternoon started with a quick win at the doubles No. 2 spot for the Lions. Horvat and Winegar defeated Alessio Basile and Chase Ferguson, 6-3.

The Cowboys evened the doubles action as Alex Garcia and Francisco Pini defeated Nicolas Kotzen and Sachin Palta, 6-3 at the No. 3 spot. With all eyes on the No. 1 doubles, the duo of Max Westphal and Michael Zheng outlasted Isaac Becroft and Tyler Zink to win the tiebreaker, 7-6(7-1) and clinch the doubles point for the Lions.

Columbia didn't let up heading into singles play as No. 11 Zheng, No. 33 Horvat, and Henry Ruger worked quick to capture the three singles matches needed for the win. Ruger captured the first singles victory of the day at the No. 6 spot as he swept Leighton Allen, 6-0, 6-0.

No. 11 Zheng followed that up with a 6-2, 6-2 win at the No. 1 singles against Tyler Zink to put Columbia up, 3-0 in the match. No. 33 Horvat clinched the match at the No. 3 spot with a 6-2, 6-3 win against Pini.

No. 9 Alex Kotzen, Hugo Hashimoto, and Nicolas Kotzen rounded out the singles lineup for the Lions. Their matches were unfinished.

UP NEXT

The Lions travel south for matches against Ole Miss and Alabama next weekend. Columbia will meet Ole Miss on Friday for a 5 p.m. first serve. The Lions will then head to Alabama for an 11 a.m. matchup against the Crimson Tide on Sunday.

FOLLOWING THE LIONS

Stay up to date on all things Columbia Men's Tennis by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsMTEN), Instagram (@culionsmten) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).