NEW YORK - Columbia defeated Penn, 5-2, at the Dick Savitt Center. In the final match of their season, the Lions clinched at least second place in the Ivy League and finished with a 16-3 record, 6-1 in the conference.
The Lions grabbed an early lead as all three doubles teams won their matches. Akshay Rao and Scott Robbin won at first doubles, 8-4, while Vinay Bhamidipati and Jared Drucker won at No. 3 doubles, 8-1. With the point already clinched Jimmy and Marty Moore won at second doubles, 8-6.
In singles play, senior co-captain Rajeev Emany ended his Columbia career on a high note as he won at No. 3 singles in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1. First-year Jared Drucker followed Emany's straight set win with one of his own as Drucker fought back to force a tiebreaker in the second set. Drucker eventually won 7-5 to match his 6-1 victory in the first set.
Akshay Rao clinched the match for the Lions with his 7-5, 6-1 win at No. 1 singles. He, like Emany, finishes his career at Columbia with a fine performance. With the match decided, Marty Moore's sixth singles match went to a "supertiebreaker." Moore and his opponent locked in a marathon tiebreak in which Moore fought through cramps to pull out a gutsy 16-14 victory.
With the win, the Lions lock up at least a second place finish in the Ivy League. Brown defeated Harvard, so the Bears remain unbeaten at 6-0 with one match to play at Yale on Thursday, April 28.
Columbia 5, Penn 2 Doubles:
#1. Rao/Robbin (C) def. Bekker/Lynn (P), 8-4
#2. Moore/Moore (C) def. Lecher/O'Gara (P), 8-6
#3. Bhamidipati/Drucker (C) def. Lok/Pu (P), 8-1
Singles:
#1. Rao (C) def. Lynn (P), 7-5, 6-1
#2. Bekker (P) def. J. Moore (C), 6-4, 6-1
#3. Emany (C) def. Lecher (P), 6-4, 6-1
#4. Tobias (P) def. Clemente (C), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
#5. Drucker (C) def. Fairbanks (P), 6-1, 7-5
#6. M. Moore (C) def. Lok (P), 7-5, 6-7, 1-0 (16-14)
