NEW YORK – The seventh-ranked Columbia men's tennis team cruised through its doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the Philip and Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center with wins over Marist and Wagner.
 
Columbia improves to 14-2 overall this season and has now won its last eight matches. Saturday marked the final two nonconference contests of the season as the Lions kick off the Ivy League slate next weekend. Columbia will get conference play started on the road at Cornell on Saturday, March 30 at 1 p.m.
 
The Lions dominated up and down the lineup in both matches to finish preparations before the start of conference action. In doubles action, the top duo of No. 16 Michael Zheng and Theo Winegar picked up two wins to improve to 11-1 overall this spring. Alex Kotzen and Hugo Hashimoto paired up for the first time this spring at the No. 3 spot and earned two wins. No. 22 Nicolas Kotzen and Max Westphal earned a win against Wagner after their match went unfinished against Marist.
 
No. 75 Alex Kotzen, Hashimoto and Winegar tallied two singles victories Saturday. Hashimoto continues to lead the Lions with 12 singles wins this spring as he is 12-1 overall. Winegar secured his first two singles victories of the dual season playing the No. 5 spot in both matches.
 
No. 17 Zheng, No. 112 Nicolas Kotzen and Jayden Templeman picked up wins in the second match of the day against Wagner. Templeman entered the lineup at the No. 6 spot and secured his first dual win of the season.
 
COLUMBIA VS. MARIST RESULTS
#7 Columbia 4, Marist 0
 
Singles
1. #17 Michael Zheng (COL) vs. Oliver Thoeny (MAR) 6-3, 4-0, unfinished
2. #75 Alex Kotzen (COL) def. Jose Catala (MAR) 6-1, 6-2
3. Max Westphal (COL) vs. Alex Thompson (MAR) 6-2, 3-0, unfinished
4. Hugo Hashimoto (COL) def. Nick Suhanitski (MAR) 6-1, 6-1
5. Theo Winegar (COL) def. Alejandro Casteneda (MAR) 6-3, 6-1
6. Sachin Palta (COL) vs. Tomas Gomez (MAR) 6-2, 3-1, unfinished
 
Doubles
1. #16 Michael Zheng/Theo Winegar (COL) def. Jose Catala/Alejandro Casteneda (MAR) 6-1
unfinished
2. #22 Nicolas Kotzen/Max Westphal (COL) vs. Oliver Thoeny/Alex Thompson (MAR) 5-2, unfinished
3. Alex Kotzen/Hugo Hashimoto (COL) def. Nick Suhanitski/Paolo Flores (MAR) 6-1
 
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (4,2,5)
 
COLUMBIA VS. WAGNER RESULTS
#7 Columbia 7, Wagner 0
 
Singles
1. #17 Michael Zheng (COL) def. Filippo Tonnicchi (WAG) 6-0, 6-0
2. #75 Alex Kotzen (COL) def. Rodrigo Perez (WAG) 6-0, 6-0
3. #112 Nicolas Kotzen (COL) def. Jordan Hunte (WAG) 6-1, 6-0
4. Hugo Hashimoto (COL) def. Sebastian Dobson (WAG) 6-0, 6-2
5. Theo Winegar (COL) def. Aryan Gupta (WAG) 6-1, 6-0
6. Jayden Templeman (COL) def. Lucas Darling (WAG) 6-0, 6-1
 
Doubles
1. #16 Michael Zheng/Theo Winegar (COL) def. Filippo Tonnicchi/Rodrigo Perez (WAG) 6-0
2. #22 Nicolas Kotzen/Max Westphal (COL) def. Sebastian Dobson/Kunsh Moolchandani (WAG) 6-0
3. Alex Kotzen/Hugo Hashimoto (COL) def. Aryan Gupta/Lucas Darling (WAG) 6-1
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (2,5,6,1,3,4)
 
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