Stags Too Strong for #15 NCW

Junior captain Neel Kotrappa (La Verne, CA) had wins at #2 doubles and #5 singles, as CMS won its third straight against a ranked Division III opponent on Friday. Kotrappa and partner Skyler Butts (Fr. - Santa Ana, CA) were part of a dominating CMS doubles sweep, where the Stags yielded only six games in three matches to the 15th ranked Bishops. Kotrappa then got the dual match clinching singles victory at #5 singles, as the Stags pulled away on the strength of their bottom three singles positions.

After the Stags' doubles sweep, sophomore Warren Wood (Del Mar, CA) withdrew before the singles with an aggravated muscle pull. Wood's withdrawal shifted each Stags singles position up one, with sophomore Joe Dorn (Washington D.C.) taking over the top singles spot. Dorn filled in admirably at #1, losing a tough two tie-break match to the nation's second ranked singles player Robert Kjellberg. Nik Marino (So. - San Diego, CA) was a comeback winner at the #2 position, pulling out a 10-8 decisive match tie-break to keep his dual match record perfect. Senior Alex Lane (Claremont, CA) also came back from a set down at #3 singles, but lost a tough 11-9 match tie-break for North Carolina Wesleyan's only other point of the afternoon.

Senior Alex Johnson (Thousand Oaks, CA) was the Stags' most decisive winner on Friday, winning 6-0, 6-0 at the #4 position and giving CMS its first singles point. Kotrappa and Butts then followed with straight set wins at #5 and #6 to put CMS 6-0.

CMS is now 5-1 on the season and takes on #6 Trinity University on Saturday at 1:00 PM at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center.

#4 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (7) vs. #15 North Carolina Wesleyan (2)
March 8, 2013 at Claremont, CA (Biszantz Family Tennis Center)

Doubles
1. Joe Dorn / Warren Wood (CMS) def. Robert Kjellberg / Artisiom Prostak (NCW) 8-3
2. Skyler Butts / Neel Kotrappa (CMS) def. Johan Ljungdahl / Peter Hviid (NCW) 8-2
3. Nikolas Marino / Alex Lane (CMS) def. Marcus Pola / Mike Konnov (NCW) 8-1

Singles
1. Robert Kjellberg (NCW) def. Joe Dorn (CMS) 7-6(5), 7-6(4)
2. Nikolas Marino (CMS def. Artisiom Prostak (NCW) 2-6, 6-2, (10-8)
3. Johan Ljungdahl (NCW) def. Alex Lane (CMS) 7-6(3), 3-6, (11-9)
4. Alex Johnson (CMS) def. Peter Hviid (NCW) 6-0, 6-0
5. Neel Kotrappa (CMS) def.Marcus Pola (NCW) 6-3, 6-2
6. Skyler Butts (CMS) def. Mike Konnov (NCW) 7-5, 6-4

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