Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Lem Photography
No. 8 Men’s Tennis Defeats Quinnipiac, Advances to Second Round of NCAA Tournament
5/3/2024 5:15:00 PM | Men's Tennis
The Lions face Michigan in the second round Saturday at 1 p.m.
NEW YORK – The No. 8 Columbia men's tennis team defeated Quinnipiac, 4-0, Friday afternoon at the Philip and Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Columbia will face No. 26 Michigan in the second round, which is set for a 1 p.m. first serve Saturday at the Milstein Family Tennis Center. Michigan has won four of the six all-time meetings between the teams. The Lions and Wolverines last met in 2022.
The Lions opened Friday's match by winning the doubles point to take the early lead. Nicolas Kotzen and Max Westphal cruised to a 6-2 win over Carlos Braun Simo and Finn Burridge in the No. 2 spot. Alex Kotzen and Henry Ruger pulled away down the stretch to post a 7-5 win against Ayato Arakaki and Donovan Brown in the No. 3 doubles to clinch the doubles point.
Nicolas Kotzen earned the first singles victory of the afternoon for the Lions with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Shaurya Sood in the No. 3 doubles. Hugo Hashimoto extended Columbia's lead with a 6-1, 6-3 win against Burridge in the No. 5 spot. Hashimoto continues his undefeated streak playing the No. 5 singles and is now 16-0 this spring.
No. 100 Alex Kotzen finished off Columbia's 4-0 win by taking a 6-3, 6-2 win over Arakaki in the No. 2 singles. Alex Kotzen improves to 12-4 overall playing the No. 2 spot this season.
RESULTS
#8 Columbia 4, Quinnipiac 0
Singles
1. #23 Michael Zheng (COL) vs. Daniel Velek (QUIN) 6-2, 5-1 (unfinished)
2. #100 Alex Kotzen (COL) def. Ayato Arakaki (QUIN) 6-3, 6-2
3. Nicolas Kotzen (COL) def. Shaurya Sood (QUIN) 6-1, 6-2
4. Max Westphal (COL) vs. Carlos Braun Simo (QUIN) 6-2, 4-4 (unfinished)
5. Hugo Hashimoto (COL) def. Finn Burridge (QUIN) 6-1, 6-3
6. Henry Ruger (COL) vs. Donovan Brown (QUIN) 6-4, 4-0 (unfinished)
Doubles
1. #16 Theo Winegar/Michael Zheng (COL) vs. Daniel Velek/Shaurya Sood (QUIN) 6-5 (unfinished)
2. Nicolas Kotzen/Max Westphal (COL) def. Carlos Braun Simo/Finn Burridge (QUIN) 6-2
3. Alex Kotzen/Henry Ruger (COL) def. Ayato Arakaki/Donovan Brown (QUIN) 7-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (3,5,2)
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Men's Tennis by following the Lions on X (@CULionsMTEN), Instagram (@culionsmten) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
Columbia will face No. 26 Michigan in the second round, which is set for a 1 p.m. first serve Saturday at the Milstein Family Tennis Center. Michigan has won four of the six all-time meetings between the teams. The Lions and Wolverines last met in 2022.
The Lions opened Friday's match by winning the doubles point to take the early lead. Nicolas Kotzen and Max Westphal cruised to a 6-2 win over Carlos Braun Simo and Finn Burridge in the No. 2 spot. Alex Kotzen and Henry Ruger pulled away down the stretch to post a 7-5 win against Ayato Arakaki and Donovan Brown in the No. 3 doubles to clinch the doubles point.
Nicolas Kotzen earned the first singles victory of the afternoon for the Lions with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Shaurya Sood in the No. 3 doubles. Hugo Hashimoto extended Columbia's lead with a 6-1, 6-3 win against Burridge in the No. 5 spot. Hashimoto continues his undefeated streak playing the No. 5 singles and is now 16-0 this spring.
No. 100 Alex Kotzen finished off Columbia's 4-0 win by taking a 6-3, 6-2 win over Arakaki in the No. 2 singles. Alex Kotzen improves to 12-4 overall playing the No. 2 spot this season.
RESULTS
#8 Columbia 4, Quinnipiac 0
Singles
1. #23 Michael Zheng (COL) vs. Daniel Velek (QUIN) 6-2, 5-1 (unfinished)
2. #100 Alex Kotzen (COL) def. Ayato Arakaki (QUIN) 6-3, 6-2
3. Nicolas Kotzen (COL) def. Shaurya Sood (QUIN) 6-1, 6-2
4. Max Westphal (COL) vs. Carlos Braun Simo (QUIN) 6-2, 4-4 (unfinished)
5. Hugo Hashimoto (COL) def. Finn Burridge (QUIN) 6-1, 6-3
6. Henry Ruger (COL) vs. Donovan Brown (QUIN) 6-4, 4-0 (unfinished)
Doubles
1. #16 Theo Winegar/Michael Zheng (COL) vs. Daniel Velek/Shaurya Sood (QUIN) 6-5 (unfinished)
2. Nicolas Kotzen/Max Westphal (COL) def. Carlos Braun Simo/Finn Burridge (QUIN) 6-2
3. Alex Kotzen/Henry Ruger (COL) def. Ayato Arakaki/Donovan Brown (QUIN) 7-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (3,5,2)
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Men's Tennis by following the Lions on X (@CULionsMTEN), Instagram (@culionsmten) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
Players Mentioned
Highlights: MTEN | National Championship Highlights
Sunday, November 23
Postgame: MTEN | Michael Zheng on winning the NCAA singles championship
Sunday, November 24
Postgame: MTEN | Michael Zheng on advancing to the singles final at NCAA Championships
Saturday, November 23
Postgame: MTEN | Michael Zheng on advancing to semifinals at NCAA Championships
Friday, November 22













