NEW YORK – Columbia will get the 2023 NCAA Tournament started with a first-round matchup against Saint Francis College Brooklyn on Friday at 1 p.m. at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing.
The Lions enter the tournament as the No. 13 overall seed. Columbia finished the regular season with a 19-3 overall record and a 6-1 mark in Ivy League action. Columbia tallied eight wins over ranked opponents this season as the Lions finished the regular season ranked No. 13 in the ITA Rankings – the team's highest finish in the polls at the end of the regular season in program history.
"We are really proud of the guys," Bidyut K. Goswami Head Coach of Men's Tennis
Howard Endelman said. "The guys have really bought into the program and are trying to get better every day. It has been terrific to work with these guys."
Columbia was recognized for its success on the court this season as the Ivy League released its Men's Tennis All-Ivy awards this week. Endelman was named the Ivy League Coach of the Year as he guided the team through a successful season. First-year
Michael Zheng made a big statement as he was named the Ivy League Player of the Year and the unanimous Ivy League Rookie of the Year.
Zheng also was named First Team All-Ivy in singles and doubles play. Zheng became the first player in Ivy League history to be named the Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Ivy singles and doubles in the same season.
Theo Winegar made the first team list in the doubles category.
Alex Kotzen and
Max Westphal were named to the Second Team All-Ivy list for singles.
"We are proud of Michael and his incredible and unprecedented achievements in his first year at Columbia," Endelman said. "These special honors are a result of Michael's hard work and dedication to our program."
Zheng led the Lions this spring with a 17-4 record in singles play as he played the No. 1 spot in every dual match. He went 5-2 in Ivy League duals. Westphal had a great spring as he compiled a 13-4 record, losing only one match during Ivy League action. He played the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 spots at different times throughout the season before solidifying his position in the No. 2 singles for the last month of Ivy League play.
Alex Kotzen posted a 12-4 record throughout the spring. He earned wins in five Ivy matches as he finished the regular season on a five-match win streak in the No. 4 and 5 singles.
Roko Horvat was 9-6 during the dual season as he played the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 singles.
Henry Ruger proved to be valued on the back end of the lineup as he went 13-3 this spring in the No. 5 and 6 singles. He was 5-1 in Ivy League play.
"It has been an amazing year," junior
Alex Kotzen said. "I am really proud of our team. We have come a long way since last year. Our younger guys have gotten a lot better and our freshmen this year have done an incredible job."
In doubles play, Zheng teamed up primarily with either Westphal or
Theo Winegar in the No. 1 spot. Zheng went 10-5 in the top doubles between both partners. Zheng and Winegar went 5-2 to close out the season, including a 3-1 performance in conference duals.
The Lions will face St. Francis Brooklyn, the Northeast Conference champions on Friday at 1 p.m. in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Terriers have won nine of their last 10 matches to capture their first conference title in program history. St. Francis Brooklyn finished the season with a 10-11 overall record.
With a win Friday, Columbia would meet either Stanford or St. John's in the second round at 12 p.m. Saturday. Stanford and St. Johns are set for a 10 a.m. first serve Friday to determine who will advance.
After the Regional Championships, Super Regional play will commence to determine the eight teams who will earn their spot into the NCAA National Championships which will be held at the USTA National Campus from May 18-20.
Zheng solidified his spot in the NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Singles Championship as he was selected as one of the 64 singles players in the bracket.
The singles and doubles competition will be conducted May 22-27 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida, after the conclusion of the team championship, which runs from May 18-20. This year's event will be conducted jointly with the NCAA Divisions II and III Men's and Women's Tennis Championships and hosted by the University of Central Florida and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission.
All matches shall be the best-of-three sets. No-ad scoring and a seven-point tiebreaker (first to seven points, must win by two points) at six-games-all will be used for all matches. In doubles, a 10-point match tiebreaker will be played in lieu of a third set.
2023 NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament First & Second Rounds -- Billie Jean King Tennis Center (Queens, N.Y.)
Friday, May 5
Match 1 – Stanford vs. St. John's, 10 a.m.
Match 2 – Columbia vs. St. Francis College Brooklyn, 1 p.m.
Saturday, May 6
Match 3 – Match 2 Winner vs. Match 1 Winner, Noon
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