CMS Men's Tennis Holds off Pomona-Pitzer at ITA Indoor Nationals
ST. PETER, Minn. - The No. 5 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's tennis team was pushed by local rival Pomona-Pitzer on Friday in the quarterfinals of the ITA Indoor Nationals at Gustavus Adolphus, but the Stags were able to come through with a 5-3 win and advance to tomorrow's semifinal round.
Christopher Li provided the clinching point at No. 2 singles, rallying from 5-1 down in the first set and taking a 7-5, 6-4 win to give CMS, seeded No. 3, the team victory over the sixth-seeded and ninth-ranked Sagehens.
The Stags took a 2-1 lead after doubles, with Ian Freer and Matthew Robinson taking the swing point at No. 2 in a tiebreaker (7-3 in the breaker). Advik Mareedu and Christian Settles got CMS off to a 1-0 lead with an 8-4 win, and Pomona-Pitzer was able to salvage the final point, overcoming a 4-1 deficit to get an 8-6 win at No. 3.
After the Sagehens tied it 2-2 with Ethan Lee's win at No. 4, Freer prevailed at No. 5 6-4, 6-4 in a match marked by multiple deuce points. The Sagehens again tied it, as Hayden Snyder gave Mareedu his first collegiate defeat with a 7-6, 6-3 win at No. 1, but Warren Pham was able to put CMS back in front at No. 6 with a 7-6(5), 6-2 win.
That set the table for Li, who kept the momentum after his comeback win in the first set and got a key 3-game run in the middle of the second set to go ahead 4-3. After the Sagehens held to level the second set at 4-4, Li won the last two games and sent the Stags through to the semifinals.
CMS will face No. 2 seed and defending ITA D3 National Team Indoor Champions Case Western at 8:30 a.m. Central time (6:30 a.m. Pacific).
#5 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (5) vs. #9 Pomona-Pitzer (3)
February 24, 2023 at St. Peter, MN - ITA D3 National Team Indoors First Round (Swanson Tennis Center)
Doubles
1. Christian Settles/Advik Mareedu (CMS) def. Mukund Madabhushi/Hayden Snyder (PP) 8-4
2. Ian Freer/Matthew Robinson (CMS) def. Eshaan Lumba/Matthew Feng (PP) 8-7(3)
3. Owen Kelley/Kush Patel (PP) def. Nathan Arimilli/Christopher Li (CMS) 8-6
Singles
1. Hayden Snyder (PP) def. Advik Mareedu (CMS) 7-6(4), 6-3
2. Christopher Li (CMS) def. Mukund Madabhushi (PP) 7-5, 6-4
3. Matthew Robinson (CMS) vs. Kush Patel (PP) 6-7(5), 5-2, DNF
4. Ethan Lee (PP) def. Michael Hao (CMS) 6-2, 6-4
5. Ian Freer (CMS) def. Matthew Feng (PP) 6-4, 6-4
6. Warren Pham (CMS) def. Eshaan Lumba (PP) 7-6(5), 6-2
Order of completion
Doubles: 1, 2, 3
Singles: 4, 5, 1, 6, 2