In a thrilling conclusion to Ivy League tennis, No. 33 men’s tennis clinched a victory against Yale on April 21, securing third place in the Ivy League with an 18-6 season record (5-2 Ivy). The match, held at the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center in New Haven, Connecticut, saw the Red triumph in a tight 4-3 match.
Junior Radu Papoe and senior Samuel Paquette led the charge, achieving their 10th win of the spring with an early 6-2 victory in doubles. Although Yale responded with a 6-4 win against junior Nathan Mao and junior Adit Sinha, Cornell secured the doubles point as sophomore Petar Teodorovic and freshman Eric Verdes clinched a 7-5 win.
The teams’ singles matches were evenly split. Despite losses by Teodorovic and senior Bradley Paliska, two 6-3 victories by Mao and freshman Felipe Pinzon contributed to the Red’s overall victory.
This win marks Cornell’s best record since the 2016-17 season, where it finished (18-6, 5-2 Ivy), building anticipation for the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Tennis Team Selection Show on Monday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. on NCAA.org. A selection would mark the team’s first consecutive appearance in the NCAA championships in program history.
On the Saturday before facing Yale, both the men’s and women’s teams celebrated victories against Brown. The men’s team achieved a clean sweep with wins in doubles from Mao/Sinha, Teodorovic/Verdes and Papoe/Paquette and in singles from Papoe, Sinha, Pinzon, sophomore Aman Sharma, Paquette and sophomore Noah Eisenberg.
The women’s team secured victories in doubles from senior Lauren Stein/sophomore Emma Baker and freshman Michelle Ryndin/junior Alexandra Savu. In singles, Ryndin, Baker, and freshman Victoria Zhao secured wins.
The Senior Day festivities also honored lone senior Stein for her significant contributions to the women’s team, marking a memorable moment in her collegiate tennis career.
“I am extremely proud of my accomplishments at Cornell. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my friends, teammates, classmates, parents and coaches,” Stein said. “Between tennis, classes and extracurriculars, I have had the chance to meet a diverse group of people, which has really helped me grow both personally and professionally.”
Meanwhile, the women’s team (8-14, 1-6 Ivy) faced a tough match against Yale, ultimately falling 4-1 on Senior Day, in the Reis Tennis Center in Ithaca on Sunday. The day began promisingly, with junior Jenny Wong and Zhao dominating their doubles match 6-0 in just 28 minutes. Ryndin and Savu scored 6-4 in their win, but the doubles round concluded with an unfinished match between Stein and Baker, with points awarded to Cornell.
Despite the challenging singles competition and the team’s inability to advance to the NCAA tournament, the women’s team demonstrated their resilience. They are now focused on strengthening their roster and enhancing their coaching staff, setting the stage for future triumphs.
Anika Kolanu can be reached at [email protected].