Story Links Box Score (PDF) NEW YORK – The sixth-ranked Columbia men’s tennis team battled down the stretch against No. 2 Wake Forest, but the Demon Deacons proved too much to handle as they handed Columbia its first loss of the season, 5-2 on Saturday afternoon inside the Philip and Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center. Columbia […]
NEW YORK – The sixth-ranked Columbia men’s tennis team battled down the stretch against No. 2 Wake Forest, but the Demon Deacons proved too much to handle as they handed Columbia its first loss of the season, 5-2 on Saturday afternoon inside the Philip and Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center.
Columbia moves to 4-1 overall this season after coming up short against Wake Forest. The Lions have a chance to rebound Sunday when Columbia meets No. 20 Michigan.
Wake Forest struck first in Saturday’s match by taking the doubles point. The 30th-ranked duo of Stefan Dostanic and DK Suresh Ekambaram posted a 6-4 win over No. 45 Michael Zheng and Nicolas Kotzen in the top doubles match. The Wake Forest duo of Ioannis Xilas and Franco Capalbo then defeated No. 62 Hugo Hashimoto and Jayden Templeman in the No. 3 doubles, 6-3.
Max Westphal and Sachin Palta held match point against the No. 3 duo of Luciano Tacchi and Luca Pow in the No. 2 doubles, but that match was abandoned as Wake Forest clinched the doubles point.
The Demon Deacons extended their lead out to 3-0 after the transition into singles action. Luca Pow defeated Thanaphat Boosarawongse in two sets, 7-6(2), 6-4 at the No. 6 spot. Luciano Tacchi then worked through three sets to defeat Sachin Palta, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.
Columbia made a late run to stay alive with two singles victories that trimmed the Wake Forest lead down to 3-2. Westphal powered through three sets to defeat No. 98 Charlie Robertson, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the No. 3 singles. No. 1 Zheng battled through three sets to fend off No. 17 Dostanic, 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 in a thrilling match at the top singles spot.
No. 7 Ekambaram clinched the Wake Forest team victory by defeating No. 40 Kotzen in three sets, 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-6(4) at the No. 2 singles. No. 100 Xilas finished off the 5-2 Wake Forest win by defeating Hashimoto, 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 in the No. 4 singles.
RESULTS
#2 Wake Forest 5, #6 Columbia 2
Doubles
1. #30 Stefan Dostanic/DK Suresh Ekambaram (WF) def. #45 Michael Zheng/Nicolas Kotzen (COL) 6-4
2. #86 Max Westphal/Sachin Palta (COL) vs. #3 Luciano Tacchi/Luca Pow (WF) 5-2, unfinished
3. Ioannis Xilas/Franco Capalbo (WF) def. #62 Hugo Hashimoto/Jayden Templeman (COL) 6-3
Singles
1. #1 Michael Zheng (COL) def. #17 Stefan Dostanic (WF) 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-5
2. #7 DK Suresh Ekambaram (WF) def. #40 Nicolas Kotzen (COL) 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
3. Max Westphal (COL) def. #98 Charlie Robertson (WF) 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
4. #100 Ioannis Xilas (WF) def. #41 Hugo Hashimoto (COL) 5-7, 7-5, 6-1
5. Luciano Tacchi (WF) def. Sachin Palta (COL) 6-1, 5-7, 6-2
6. Luca Pow (WF) def. T. Boosarawongse (COL) 7-6 (7-2), 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (6,5,3,1,2,4)
UP NEXT
Columbia is right back in action again tomorrow afternoon against No. 20 Michigan. First serve from the Milstein Family Tennis Center is set for 1 p.m.
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