CMS Men's Tennis Edged by Middlebury in Top-10 Battle

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The third-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's tennis team fell into a 2-1 hole after doubles, with both losses in tiebreakers, and couldn't overcome the deficit in singles as it dropped a 5-4 decision to No. 9 Middlebury on Friday at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center.

The loss snaps an eight-match win streak for the Stags, who fall to 12-3 on the season, while Middlebury improves to 6-2 with the win.

CMS got the first point in doubles quickly, as Matthew Robinson and Nathan Arimilli earned an 8-3 win at No. 2. However, Stan Morris and David Vilys saved two match points serving at 6-7 against CMS' No. 1 team Robert Liu and Jack Katzman, and then went on to win a cruicial tie-break and even the match score at 1-1. With the swing point coming down to No. 3 doubles, the Stags' Ethan Carroll and Christopher Li had to come back from a 4-1 deficit early, but after getting one service break back, failed to convert on break point at 4-all. Middlebury then took back the momentum and broke Carroll at 5-6, but the CMS pair responded with a break back, and then a service hold, to force a tie-break. Carroll and Li saved three match points from 6-3 down, and then another at 7-6, before finally succumbing 9-7.

Holding a 2-1 lead heading into singles, Midd increased their lead to 3-1 before CMS responded with three straight-set wins at No. 3, No. 4, and No. 2.  Robinson was first at No. 3, followed by Li at No. 4., and then Katzman put the Stags up 4-3  with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 2. 

Hilty then picked up his second big win of the day for Middlebury with a three-setter at No. 5, breaking serve to take the third set 6-4 to tie the score at 4-4. Zihao Yuan then earned the clinch for the Panthers at No. 6, winning a grinding two-setter 7-5, 6-3. 

CMS will be back in action tomorrow when it hosts two more home matches at Biszantz, taking on Williams at 2 p.m. and George Fox at 6 p.m.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (4) vs. Middlebury (5)
March 25, 2022 at Claremont, CA. (Biszantz Family Tennis Center)

Doubles
1. Stan Morris/David Vilys (MIDD) def. Jack Katzman/Robert Liu (CMS) 8-7(5)
2. Nathan Arimilli/Matthew Robinson (CMS) def. Aidan Harris/Noah Laber (MIDD) 8-3
3. Neel Epstein/Zachary Hilty (MIDD) def. Ethan Carroll/Christopher Li (CMS) 8-7(7)

Singles
1. Stan Morris (MIDD) def. Robert Liu (CMS) 6-3, 6-2
2. Jack Katzman (CMS) def. Aidan Harris (MIDD) 6-4, 6-2
3. Matthew Robinson (CMS) def. Noah Laber (MIDD) 6-3, 6-3
4. Christopher Li (CMS) def. Neel Epstein (MIDD) 6-2, 6-2
5. Zachary Hilty (MIDD) def. Ethan Carroll (CMS) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
6. Zihao Yuan (MIDD) def. Michael Hao (CMS) 7-5, 6-3

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