CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The ninth-ranked Columbia men's tennis team captured at least a share of the Ivy League title on Saturday afternoon, defeating No. 20 Harvard 4-1 at the Beren Tennis Center.
Saturday's win over Harvard (17-6, 4-2 Ivy) gives the Lions (16-4, 6-0 Ivy) their 18th Ivy League Championship in program history. A win tomorrow over Dartmouth will give Columbia its 13th outright championship. With today's win, the Lions surpass Princeton for second most Ivy League Championships all-time.
Columbia won its first league title in 1972; they have one at least one league championship in every decade since. It is the eighth Ivy League Championship under Bidyut K. Goswami Head Coach of Men's Tennis and Director of Tennis Operations
Howard Endelman.
Columbia got the early momentum on Saturday's match winning the doubles point with wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 spot.
Max Westphal and
Sachin Palta got the Lions going with a 6-2 win over Benjamin Privara/Masato Perera at the No. 2 spot.
Hugo Hashimoto and
Jayden Templeman clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 win over Melchior Delloye/Valdemar Pape at the No. 3 spot.
In singles play,
Nicolas Kotzen defeated Privara in straight-sets, 6-1, 6-1. Westphal brought the Lions one step closer to victory with a 7-6 (7), 6-4 straight-sets win over Pape.
Harvard scored its only point when Rohan Murali defeated Hashimoto 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. The Nation's top ranked player,
Michael Zheng, clinched the win with a 6-7, 6-4, 6-0 victory over No. 39 Danny Milavsky.
RESULTS
#9 Columbia 4, #20 Harvard 1
Singles
1. #1
Michael Zheng (COL) def. #39 Danny Milavsky (HAR) 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-0
2. #53
Nicolas Kotzen (COL) def. #103 Benjamin Privara (HAR) 6-1, 6-1
3.
Max Westphal (COL) def. Valdemar Pape (HAR), 7-6 (7), 6-4
4. Rohan Murali (HAR) def. #74
Hugo Hashimoto (COL) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
5.
Sachin Palta (COL) def. Melchior Delloye (HAR) 6-7 (6), 6-4, 2-1 unfinished
6.
Thanaphat Boosarawongse (COL) vs. Mitchell Lee (HAR) 6-4, 4-6, 5-1 unfinished
Doubles
1. #42
Michael Zheng/
Nicolas Kotzen (COL) vs. #55 Danny Milavsky/David Lins 5-4 unfinished
2.
Max Westphal/
Sachin Palta (COL) def. #26 Benjamin Privara/Masato Perera (HAR) 6-2
3.
Hugo Hashimoto/
Jayden Templeman def. Melchior Delloye/Valdemar Pape (HAR) 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (2, 3, 4, 1)
UP NEXT
Columbia closes out the regular season tomorrow afternoon when it takes on No. 73 Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H. First serve for Sunday's contest is slated for 1:00 p.m.
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).
