STILLWATER, Okla. – The No. 8 Columbia men's tennis team rallied back after losing the doubles point to go down to the wire against No. 1 Ohio State in singles play. The Buckeyes ultimately prevailed to clinch a 4-2 victory on Thursday afternoon at Oklahoma State's Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center.
 
Ohio State prevailed in a tight doubles battle to take the lead to start the match. The duo of Cannon Kingsley and Jack Anthrop struck first in doubles play with a 6-4 win over Alex Kotzen and Henry Ruger in the No. 3 position. The Lions answered back as Nicolas Kotzen and Max Westphal posted a 6-4 upset win over No. 49 Andrew Lutschaunig and Justin Boulais in the No. 2 spot.
 
The attention then turned to the top match where No. 3 JJ Tracy and Robert Cash battled No. 16 Theo Winegar and Michael Zheng. The teams played close down the stretch, but Ohio State's Tracy and Cash pulled away at the end for a 6-4 victory that sealed the doubles point for the Buckeyes.
 
No. 23 Zheng evened the score to start singles play as he rolled past No. 34 Boulais in the top singles, 6-3, 6-1. Ohio State answered back to reclaim the lead when No. 19 Tracy took a 6-3, 6-0 win against Nicolas Kotzen in the No. 3 singles.
 
Westphal tied the match again with an impressive performance in the No. 4 singles. Westphal took an upset victory in straight sets against No. 30 Anthrop, 6-2, 6-3. Just like before, the Buckeyes answered back with a win in the singles No. 2 match to reclaim the lead, 3-2. No. 17 Kingsley posted a 6-2, 6-4 win over No. 100 Alex Kotzen to put Ohio State back in front.
 
In need of two singles victories to clinch the match victory, Columbia took the first set of the singles five and six matches. Henry Ruger used a break to take the first set over Cash, 7-5, before Cash rallied back to win the second set tiebreaker. In similar fashion, Hugo Hashimoto took the first set over Alexander Bernard, 7-5, before Bernard rallied back to take the second set tiebreaker.
 
Ruger claimed a break over Cash early in the third set, but Bernard broke Hashimoto early in the third set also. Bernard went on to take the third set against Hashimoto to secure a 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1 victory that clinched Ohio State's 4-2 victory. Ruger's match went unfinished, but he held a 4-1 lead over Cash in the third set.
 
RESULTS
#1 Ohio State 4, #8 Columbia 2
 
Singles
1. #23 Michael Zheng (COL) def. #34 Justin Boulais (OSU) 6-3, 6-1
2. #17 Cannon Kingsley (OSU) def. #100 Alex Kotzen (COL) 6-2, 6-4
3. #19 JJ Tracy (OSU) def. Nicolas Kotzen (COL) 6-3, 6-0
4. Max Westphal (COL) def. #30 Jack Anthrop (OSU) 6-2, 6-3
5. Alexander Bernard (OSU) def. Hugo Hashimoto (COL) 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1
6. Henry Ruger (COL) vs. Robert Cash (OSU) 7-5, 6-7(5), 4-1 (unfinished)
 
Doubles
1. #3 JJ Tracy/Robert Cash (OSU) def. #16 Theo Winegar/Michael Zheng (COL) 6-4
2. Nicolas Kotzen/Max Westphal (COL) def. #49 Andrew Lutschaunig/Justin Boulais (OSU) 6-4
3. Cannon Kingsley/Jack Anthrop (OSU) def. Alex Kotzen/Henry Ruger (COL) 6-4
 
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (1,3,4,2,5)
 
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