Stags Control Sixth Street, Sweep Sagehens
CLAREMONT, Calif. – In a Sixth Street rivalry match, the No. 5 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's tennis team blanked the No. 11 Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens 9-0 on Thursday night at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center. The Stags turned in their most dominant doubles sweep of the season against a ranked team, and then won four of six singles matches in straight sets to complete the shutout. It was the Stags' first shutout against the Sagehens since the 2014 SCIAC Tournament championship match. CMS improves to 22-3 overall and 5-0 in conference play.
The Stags earned their fourteenth doubles sweep of 2018 and fourth in a row before a partisan home crowd on Thursday night. No. 3 pair Robert Liu (CMC) and Jake Williams (HMC) won their second match as a team just moments after No. 1 pair Julian Gordy (CMC and Nikolai Parodi (CMC) had won their fourth straight. Oscar Burney (CMC) and Jack Katzman (CMC) picked up doubles wins No. 20 and No. 21 respectively with their 8-3 win at No. 2.
In singles, Burney stayed red hot, winning for the third straight match where he yielded three games or fewer against an opponent from a nationally ranked team. With the Stags leading 4-0, both Katzman at No. 2 singles, and Gordy at No. 4 singles were within a game of clinching the dual match. Katzman had saved a set point in the first at 4-5, 30-40, before winning 10 of the final 11 games for a 7-5, 6-1 victory and the clinch. Gordy followed shortly thereafter with his ninth straight singles win, a 6-4, 6-1 effort that put the Stags up 6-0.
In a battle between two of the top three players in the West Region, Parodi (ranked #3) faced Pomona-Pitzer freshman Jed Kronenberg (ranked #1). Parodi let a 5-2 two service break lead slip in the first set before winning the final two games for a 7-5 advantage. The Stags' top player then got an early break in the second set for a 3-1 lead, before Kronenberg won four of the next five games to take a 5-4 lead. Parodi's final three games - two service holds and a break - were three of his best, as he held on for the 7-5, 7-5 win. Avinash Vemuri (CMC) and Liu completed the Stags singles sweep by winning decisive match tie-breaks at Nos. 5 and 6.
The Stags return to action on Saturday, hosting Cal Lutheran at 10:00 AM and then Hope International at 3:00 PM.
#5 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (9) vs. #11 Pomona-Pitzer (0)
April 12, 2018 at Claremont, CA (Biszantz Family Tennis Center)
Doubles
1. Julian Gordy / Nikolai Parodi (CMS) def. Octave Bellet / Avery Bicks (PP) 8-3
2. Oscar Burney Jack Katzman (CMS) def. Jed Kronenberg / Kalyan Chadalavada (PP) 8-3
3. Robert Liu / Jake Williams(CMS) def. Joshua Gearou / Marko Mandic (PP) 8-2
Singles
1. Nikolai Parodi (CMS) def. Jed Kronenberg (PP) 7-5, 7-5
2. Jack Katzman (CMS) def. Octave Bellet (PP) 7-5, 6-1
3. Oscar Burney (CMS) def. Joshua Gearou (PP) 6-1, 6-2
4. Julian Gordy (CMS) def. Marko Mandic (PP) 6-4, 6-1
5. Avinash Vemuri (CMS) def. Sam Malech (PP) 6-3, 1-6,(10-7)
6. Robert Liu (CMS) def. Jacob Schoenherr (PP) 1-6, 6-1,(10-7)
Order of completion
Doubles: 2, 1, 3
Singles: 3, 2, 4, 1, 5, 6
