Resilient Stags Come Back Again
CMS Men’s Tennis pulled off another improbable victory on
Sunday, overcoming a 4-0 deficit to defeat Division I opponent UC
Davis 5-4. Sophomore Ronald
Wu (Los Altos, CA [pictured right]), clinched the
team’s and his second win against a Division I opponent this
season with a singles victory at #6.
Much like their first comeback win against Villanova on March 2,
CMS was unable to take advantage of opportunities in doubles. The
Stags held a 7-4 lead and then served for the match at 7-5, before
dropping a disappointing 9-8(5) decision at #1 doubles. At #2, Wu
and partner Robbie
Erani (Fr. – New York, NY) had a match point
returning at 6-7, but fell short in a 9-7 loss.
Down 3-0 after the doubles, CMS got to work early in the singles,
winning the first set at four of the six positions. With UC
Davis’ straight set win at #4 singles however, any chance for
a Stags’ comeback seemed unlikely. Senior captain Lawrence
Wang (Orange, CA) got CMS it’s first point with
an impressive straight set win at #1, his 15th of the season. Next,
it was Mikey
Lim (Jr. – Honolulu, HI), who got the Stags to
4-2 with his three-set win at #3 singles. Sophomore Russell
Brockett (Austin, TX) got CMS one point closer with
another three-setter, closely followed by Erani, who tied the match
with his come-from-behind three-set win at #2. That set the stage
for Wu, who had been the hero in the comeback against Villanova. Wu
had won the first set and lost the second, but got off to a 2-0
lead in the third. On his serve in the third game of the set, the
Stags' #6 got down 0-40 and won the next five points to hold serve
and take a 3-0 lead. After another break on a diving volley winner,
Wu held again for 5-0 and an insurmountable lead. After dropping
the sixth game, Wu held serve at 30 to seal the victory for
CMS.
In the second half of a double-header, freshman Victor
Chien (Diamond Bar, CA) got his team-leading 18th win
of the season, this time at #1 singles, as the Stags defeated
Division III La Sierra University 9-0. CMS won with relative ease
at every position except for #1 singles and #1 doubles. Chien was a
6-4, 6-2 winner at #1 singles, while Brockett and Ben
Wiener (Sr. – Houston, TX) escaped with a 9-7
victory at #1 doubles.
CMS is now 21-4 overall and finishes the season with a 2-1 mark
against Division I opponents. Next up for the Stags is a 6 PM match
against rival Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Saturday, April 11 at the
Biszantz Family Tennis Center. Saturday’s match will be the
last regular season SCIAC dual for each team. A CMS victory will
earn them a top seed in the SCIAC conference tournament at
Redlands, April 17-18.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 5 vs UC Davis
4
April 5, 2009 at CMS (Biszantz Family Tennis Center)
Doubles
1. Nick Lopez / Hunter Lee (UCD) def. Guillaume Schils /
Lawrence Wang (CMS) 9-8(5)
2. Mike Reiser / Tyler Lee (UCD) def. Robbie Erani / Ronald Wu
(CMS) 9-7
3. Nic Amaroli / Josh Albert (UCD) def. Thomas Keiffer / Eric
MacColl (CMS) 8-4
Singles
1. Lawrence Wang (CMS) def. Nick Lopez (UCD) 7-5, 6-4
2. Robbie Erani (CMS) def. Mike Reiser (UCD) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
3. Mikey Lim (CMS) def Hunter Lee (UCD) 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
4. Tyler Lee (UCD) def. Eric MacColl (CMS) 6-2,
6-3
5. Russell Brockett (CMS) def. Nic Amaroli (UCD) 6-4, 4-6,
6-2
6. Ronald Wu (CMS) def. Kevin Liang (UCD) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Order of completion
Doubles: 3, 2, 1
Singles: 4, 1, 3, 5, 2, 6
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 9 vs La Sierra
0
April 5, 2009 at CMS (Biszantz Family Tennis Center)
Doubles
1. Russell Brockett / Ben Wiener (CMS) def. Alan Estareja /
Brandon McCowan (LSU) 9-7
2. Spencer MacColl / Brandon Wei (CMS) def. Erik Lund / Matt Lund
(LSU) 8-0
3. Edward La Cava / Max Mullen (CMS) def. Shaun Killeen / Ian
Killeen (LSU) 8-0
Singles
1. Victor Chien (CMS) def. Alan Estareja (LSU) 6-4, 6-2
2. Guillaume Schils (CMS) def. Brandon McCowan (LSU) 6-1, 6-1
3. Ari Zyskind (CMS) def Matt Lund (LSU) 6-0, 6-0
4. Max Mullen (CMS) def. Shaun Killeen (LSU) 6-0, 6-0
5. Russell Chidester (CMS) def. Erik Lund (LSU) 6-0, 6-0
6. Ryan Berber (CMS) def. Andy Lee (LSU) 6-0, 6-1