WACO, Texas – For the second consecutive year the Columbia men's tennis teams' season ends in the quarter finals of the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships. This season, it was top-seeded Wake Forest coming away with the win, defeating the Lions 4-1 on Friday morning at the Hurd Tennis Center.

Columbia (20-5) saw its 10-match winning streak end when the Demon Deacons (38-1) closed it out in the number four singles spot. Wake Forest will advance to play the winner of Stanford/Mississippi State in the semifinals on Saturday.

Wake Forest captured the doubles point with wins on Court 1 and Court 3. However, Columbia did not make it easy on the Demon Deacons.

At court two, the Lions' duo of Max Westphal and Sachin Palta evened things up in the doubles point, playing largely mistake free tennis to defeat Wake Forest's duo of Stefan Dostanic and Charlie Robertson, 6-3.

Court three proved to be the most thrilling of the doubles matches. Hugo Hashimoto and Jayden Templeman refused to go down quietly. Trailing 5-2 with the score 30-love, the seniors held serve to make it 5-3. They continued to battle their way back and tied the set 5-5.

The Demon Deacon's duo of Luca Pow and Luciano Tacchi got back out front 6-5 but once again could not put the Lions pair away. Leading 40-30, Templeman fired an ace to even the game at 6-6 and force a tiebreaker where they ultimately fell 7-5, giving Wake Forest the doubles point.

At court one, Columbia's top duo of Michael Zheng and Nicolas Kotzen opened the match with four-straight errors and could not get into a rhythm, falling to Dhakshineswar Suresh and Ioannis Xilas 6-3.

Trailing 1-0 in singles play, Zheng took the first set 6-2 but could regain his form and lost No. 13 Stefan Dostanic 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. With the commanding 3-0 lead, Wake Forest looked poised to make it a quick match. However, Columbia did not surrender.

After falling in the first set in a tiebreaker, Kotzen stormed back to give the Lions the point. Defeating ninth-ranked Suresh 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-3. The win snapped a two-match losing streak. The junior still has yet to lose three consecutive matches in his career.

The Demon Deacons had the Lions backs against the wall at the remaining four courts but struggled to point the Lions away.

At Court 3, Ioannis Xilas earned the quick break in the first set against Westphal. The senior from Paris, France came back to win the second set 6-4 and was leading 5-2 when the match was abandoned.

Wake Forest eventually clinched the match at Court 4 when Charlie Robertson finished off Hashimoto, 7-6(7-5), 3-6, 6-1.

The loss is the final match for seniors Hugo Hashimoto, Jayden Templeman, and Max Westphal. The trio finishes their careers as one of the winningest classes in program history. Claiming two Ivy League titles and competing in four NCAA Championships, including back-to-back appearances in the quarterfinals.

RESULTS
#1 Wake Forest 4 - #8 Columbia 1
 
Singles
1. #13 Stefan Dostanic (WFU) def. #2 Michael Zheng (COL) – 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
2. #52 Nicolas Kotzen (COL) def. #9 Dhakshineswar Suresh (WFU) – 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-3
3. Max Westphal (COL) vs. #123 Ioannis Xilas (WFU) – 3-6, 6-4, 5-2 unfinished
4. Charlie Robertson (WFU) def. #81 Hugo Hashimoto (COL) – 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-1
5.  Sachin Palta (COL) vs. vs. Luciano Tacchi (WFU) – 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 unfinished
6. Luca Pow (WFU) def. Thanaphat Boosarawongse (COL) – 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
 
Doubles
1. #53 Dhakshineswar Suresh/ Ioannis Xilas (WFU) def. #41 Michael Zheng/Nicholas Kotzen (COL) – 6-3
2. #86 Max Westphal/Sachin Palta (COL) def. #26 Stefan Dostanic/Charlie Robertson (WFU) – 6-3
3. #18 Luca Pow/Luciano Tacchi (WFU) def. Hugo Hashimoto/Jayden Templeman (COL) – 7-6(7-5)

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,6,2,4)

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