Anna 
WACO, Texas – The Columbia men’s tennis team, ranked No. 6 nationally, competed in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Team Indoor Championships over the weekend. The Lions faced a challenging slate, losing to No. 11 Stanford and No. 4 Ohio State before securing a victory against No. 7 Duke.
Columbia entered the tournament with a 6-3 record, fresh off a comeback win against No. 20 Michigan after their first loss of the season to No. 2 Wake Forest. Seeded third in the Baylor University-hosted bracket, the Lions aimed to make a deep run but faced stiff competition.
Friday: Tough Start Against Stanford
The Lions struggled in their opening match against Stanford (7-2). Columbia lost the doubles point as Stanford swept both completed sets, 6-3. Seniors Hugo Hashimoto and Jayden Templeman fell first, followed by the top pairing of juniors Nicolas Kotzen and Michael Zheng.
In singles play, senior Max Westphal provided a bright spot, winning 6-2, 6-3 to level the match. However, Stanford dominated the rest of the singles matches. Zheng lost 6-3, 7-6, and first-year Thanaphat Boosarawongse fell 6-2, 7-5. Kotzen fought hard but ultimately lost 7-6, 7-5 to Stanford’s Max Basing. Stanford advanced to the semifinals, while Columbia moved to the back draw.
Saturday: Narrow Loss to Ohio State
Facing No. 4 Ohio State (9-2) in the back draw, the Lions again fell short. The Buckeyes claimed the doubles point, with Columbia’s only win coming from Zheng and Kotzen, who won their set 6-3.
In singles, Ohio State’s Bryce Nakashima defeated junior Sachin Palta 6-1, 6-1. Kotzen and Zheng secured wins for Columbia, tying the team score at 2-2. However, the Lions couldn’t complete the comeback, losing the remaining matches for a final score of 4-2.
Sunday: Strong Finish Against Duke
Columbia ended the tournament on a high note, defeating No. 7 Duke (7-3) 4-1. After struggling in doubles earlier, the Lions turned things around. Hashimoto and Templeman won 6-3, and the duo of Palta and Westphal clinched a tight 7-5 victory.
In singles, Duke’s Remy Dugardin defeated Boosarawongse 6-1, 6-4, but Columbia swept the remaining matches. Zheng won 6-3, 6-2, Kotzen triumphed 6-4, 6-4, and Palta sealed the victory with a 6-3, 7-6 win.
Looking Ahead
The Lions will return to action on February 28, hosting the University of Tulsa at 6:30 p.m. The team will aim to build on their strong finish against Duke as they continue their season.
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