CMS Men's Tennis Sweeps Singles to Take 7-2 Win over Pomona-Pitzer, Clinch SCIAC Regular Season Title

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The fifth-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's tennis team fell behind 2-1 after doubles, but won all six singles matches in straight sets for a 7-2 win over No. 10 Pomona-Pitzer in a battle of SCIAC unbeatens on Saturday at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center.

With the win, CMS improves to 21-6 on the season and remains perfect in the SCIAC at 6-0, while Pomona-Pitzer drops to 5-1. The win also clinched the 15th straight SCIAC regular season title for the Stags, who have not lost a league match during the streak, which dates back to 2006.

CMS was led by Robert Liu, who was the only Stag to earn two wins on the evening. Liu won his team-leading twentieth singles match, while he and partner Ian Freer won their third match in four attempts together, and remain undefeated against conference opponents.  However, Liu and Freer were the only Stag pair to get a doubles victory on Saturday night. No. 1 pair Nathan Arimilli and Philip Martin had an early service break that they were unable to maintain, and then earned a match point returning at 5-6 in the tie-break. However, Martin's return sailed wide, and the Sagehens captured three of the next four points to secure the 2-1 Pomona-Pitzer advantage heading into singles. 

The first sets in singles were tightly contested, but CMS was able to earn decisive service breaks in the latter stages on all six. Liu was first off for the Stags, winning 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 to even the dual at 2-2. Christopher Li also won his twentieth singles match of the season at No. 5, while Jack Katzman similarly cruised at No. 4 to put the Stags within one match of a clinch. 

That set up Martin at No. 2 singles, who prevailed minutes later 6-3, 6-4 for the fifth and decisive point. Matthew Robinson then followed with an 0-4 comeback in the second set to complete a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 3, before Ethan Carroll finished off the singles sweep with a 7-6(6), 6-4 win at No. 6. 

CMS will be back in action next week when it travels to the Ojai Tournament, before closing out the regular season in two weeks with matches against Redlands and San Diego Christian College. 

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (7) vs. Pomona-Pitzer (2)
April 16, 2022 at Claremont, CA. (Biszantz Family Tennis Center)

Doubles
1. Jansen Comadena/Owen Kelley (PP) def. Nathan Arimilli/Philip Martin (CMS) 8-7(7)
2. Ian Freer/Robert Liu (CMS) def. Charlie Stark/Kush Patel (PP) 8-3
3. Nils Skattum/Mukund Madabhushi (PP) def. Ethan Carroll/Matthew Robinson (CMS) 8-2

Singles
1. Robert Liu (CMS) def. Hayden Snyder (PP) 6-4, 6-2
2. Philip Martin (CMS) def. Charlie Stark (PP) 6-3, 6-4
3. Matthew Robinson (CMS) def. Kush Patel (PP) 6-4, 6-4
4. Jack Katzman (CMS) def. Mukund Madabhushi (PP) 6-3, 6-2
5. Christopher Li (CMS) def. Jansen Comadena (PP) 6-3, 6-1
6. Ethan Carroll (CMS) def. Ethan Lee (PP) 7-6(6), 6-4

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