Men's Tennis Ousts Vassar, Falls to Swarthmore

Sophomore Neel Kotrappa (La Verne, CA) had a key role in three match wins on Thursday, as CMS Stags Tennis defeated Vassar 8-1 and then fell to Swarthmore 5-4. Kotrappa's 6-2, 6-2 victory at #5 singles against Swarthmore pushed his record to 7-3 on the season. He and partner Brandon Wei (Sr. - Lake Oswego, OR) also won at #2 and #3 doubles against Vassar and Swarthmore respectively.

In the afternoon match against Vassar, the Stags were aided by strong play from the lower part of their lineup. Senior Victor Chien (Diamond Bar, CA [pictured right]) won at #3 doubles with partner Mac Cahill (Jr. - Southport, CT) and then cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 win at #5 singles. At the number two through number six singles positions, CMS yielded only twelve total games.

The evening contest against Swarthmore proved to be a much more challenging endeavor than any had anticipated. CMS played some of their best doubles of the young season, getting easy wins at all three positions. The 3-0 lead the Stags took into the singles was not enough however. Kotrappa's win at #5 got CMS to a 4-0 advantage and only one match away from clinching, and yet the Stags found themselves down a set at every other singles position. Straight set losses at #6 and #4 closed the gap to 4-2, but the Stags came back to win second sets at #1, #2, and #3.

In the end, Swarthmore's top three singles players proved too tough for the Stags, winning the decisive sets in all three matches to complete an incredible comeback and upset of the nation's fourth ranked team.

CMS is 5-3 overall and plays at UC Santa Cruz on Saturday, March 10.

#4 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (8) vs. Vassar (1)
March 8, 2012 at Claremont, CA (Biszantz Family Tennis Center)

Doubles
1. Alex Lane / Warren Wood (CMS) def. Andrew Guzick / Ben Guzick (Vassar) 8-4
2. Neel Kotrappa / Brandon Wei (CMS) def. Dan Freeman / Kar Kapoor (Vassar)  8-3
3. Mac Cahil / Victor Chien (CMS) def. Nick Jasso / Wilson Platt (Vassar)  9-7

Singles
1. Andrew Guzick (Vassar) def. Alex Lane (CMS) 6-4, 2-6, (10-3)
2. Alex Johnson (CMS) def. Ben Guzick (Vassar) 6-1, 2-6, (10-3)
3. Mac Cahill (CMS) def. Dan Freeman (Vassar)  6-0, 6-2
4. Andrew Duckworth (CMS) def. Nick Jasso (Vassar) 6-1, 6-1
5. Victor Chien (CMS) def. Wilson Platt (Vassar) 6-3, 6-2
6. Max Mullen (CMS) def. Kar Kapoor (Vassar) 6-2, 6-1

Order of completion
Doubles: 2, 1, 3
Singles: 4, 6, 3, 5, 2, 1

#4 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (4) vs. Swarthmore (5)
March 8, 2012 at Claremont, CA (Biszantz Family Tennis Center)

Doubles
1. Alex Lane / Warren Wood (CMS) def. Zak Kelm / Max Bressman (Swarthmore) 8-2
2. Robbie Erani / Zhenya Pereverzin (CMS) def. Anthony Collard / Max Kaye (Swarthmore)  8-2
3. Neel Kotrappa / Brandon Wei (CMS) def. Dan Park / Irving Stone (Swarthmore)  8-3

Singles
1. Zak Kelm (Swarthmore) def. Warren Wood (CMS) 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-4
2. Anthony Collard (Swarthmore) def. Alex Johnson (CMS) 6-4, 0-6, 6-3
3. Max Bressman (Swarthmore) def. Robbie Erani (CMS) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
4. Max Kaye (Swarthmore) def.Mac Cahill (CMS) 6-4, 6-4
5. Neel Kotrappa (CMS) def. Preston Poon (Swarthmore) 6-2, 6-2
6. Dan Park (Swarthmore) def. Zhenya Pereverzin (CMS) 6-2, 6-3

Order of completion
Doubles: 1, 2, 3
Singles: 5, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1