Parodi, Katzman Both Pick up Two Wins at ITA Cup to Advance to Semifinals

ROME, Georgia - Senior Nikolai Parodi and junior Jack Katzman played each other in the iTA West Regional finals two weeks ago, and are now just one win each away from a rematch as the two Stags both advanced to the semifinals of the ITA Cup with two wins on Thursday at the Rome Tennis Center.

Parodi and Katzman each picked up quick two-set wins in both of their matches on Thursday to reach the final four of the ITA nationals. Parodi started off his day with a 6-3, 6-1 over Alexander Angradi of Salisbury and then added a 6-2, 6-1 win in the quarterfinals over Jake Zalenski of Kenyon. 

Katzman, meanwhile, outlasted Antonio Mora of Kenyon 6-4 in the first set of his Round of 16 matchup before rolling to the second set win 6-0. In the quarterfinals, he gave another strong performance, taking a 6-1, 6-3 win over Vishnu Joshi of Johns Hopkins. 

The semifinals will take place at 9 a.m. (EDT) on Friday with the two winners moving on to the Saturday championship match. Katzman will face unseeded Stanley Morris of Middlebury in one semifinal, while Parodi will take on fourth-seeded Boris Sorkin of Tufts. 

Parodi and Katzman have both earned All-America honors in every possible season they've played for the Stags, while ranking in the top five nationally in singles every year in their careers. Parodi ended last year ranked No. 4 nationally, with Katzman No. 5 (while two of three players ranked in front of them graduated).