Stags Fall 5-4 in NCAA Semis

CMS Men's Tennis lost a heartbreaking 5-4 decision to #5 Amherst in the NCAA Team Championship Semifinals on Wednesday. Senior Captain Mikey LIm (Honolulu, HI [pictured right]) won at #2 singles and #3 doubles in an effort that put the Stags within a point of advancing to the final.

CMS fell behind 2-1 after doubles, with only Lim and Russell Brockett (Jr. - Austin, TX) earning a win at #3 doubles. However, the Stags began the singles knowing that they had been in the same position a day earlier and won the four matches necessary to clinch an important dual match. By winning four of six first sets, CMS signaled that they would be in the match to the end. How it unfolded, no-one would have predicted.

Amherst took a 3-1 lead after winning in straight sets at #1. CMS stormed back with two-set wins at #2 and #5 singles, as Lim and Alex Johnson (Fr. - Thousand Oaks, CA) got the Stags even at three matches all. With the match score tied at 3-all, CMS needed wins in two of the three remaining matches to complete the comeback. Freshman Mac Cahill (Southport, CT) fought off leg cramps in the scond set to hold on for a 6-2, 6-4 win at #6 and give the Stags a 4-3 match advantage. As Cahill finished, senior Eric MacColl (Sr. - Greenbrae, CA) began a third set tie-break, having had one match point a game earlier. MacColl's courageous play in the tie-break earned him a 6-1 lead, and yet Amherst's Mortitz Koenig kept fighting. The duo exchanged match points before Koenig prevailed 11-9 in the tie-break, leveling the dual match at 4-all. Amherst then closed out the match at #4 as Wes Waterman outlasted CMS' Russell Brockett (Jr. - Austin, TX), after Brockett had fought back from a 6-4, 3-0 deficit to force a third set.

CMS takes on #7 Washington University in St. Louis in the 3rd/4th playoff on Thursday at 12 Noon EST. CMS is 23-6 on the season.

#3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (4) vs. #5 Amherst (5)
May 26, 2010 at Oberlin, OH (Don Hunsinger Courts) - NCAA Semifinals

Doubles
1. Austin Chafetz / Robbie Sorrel (Amherst) def. Robbie Erani / Ronald Wu (CMS) 8-3
2. Mark Kahan / Moritz Koenig (Amherst) def. Eric MacColl / Brandon Wei (CMS) 8-4
3. Russell Brockett / Mikey Lim (CMS) def. Sean Doerfler / Wes Waterman (Amherst) 8-3

Singles
1. Austin Chafetz (Amherst) def. Robbie Erani (CMS) 6-3, 6-3
2. Mikey Lim (CMS) def. Mark Kahan (Amherst) 6-4, 6-3
3. Moritz Koenig (Amherst) def. Eric MacColl (CMS) 4-6, 6-0, 7-6(9)
4. Wes Waterman (Amherst) def. Russell Brockett (CMS) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
5. Alex Johnson (CMS) def. Sean Doerfler (Amherst) 6-1, 6-4
6. Mac Cahill (CMS) def. Priit Gross (Amherst) 6-2, 6-4

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