Columbia Lions Soar to NCAA Championships After Stellar ITA All-American Performance

The Columbia men's tennis team has made a remarkable showing at the ITA All-American Championships, with standout performances from Michael Zheng and Hugo Hashimoto. Zheng secured a spot in the NCAA Singles Championships, while the duo of Hashimoto and Zheng earned a place in the NCAA Doubles Championships, setting the stage for an exciting showdown in Waco, Texas this November.

Elevating the Game: Columbia's Doubles Dominance Shines Bright

Toppling the Top Contenders

The dynamic duo of Hashimoto and Zheng showcased their exceptional doubles play throughout the tournament, delivering a series of impressive victories. Their journey began with a three-set win over the No. 41 ranked pair from Florida State, setting the stage for a highly anticipated clash against the No. 1 doubles team in the nation, Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez of Mississippi State. Undeterred by the formidable opponents, Hashimoto and Zheng rallied back from a first-set loss to clinch a thrilling 4-6, 7-6(6), [10-8] victory, stunning the top-ranked team and solidifying their status as a force to be reckoned with.

Dominating the Doubles Bracket

Riding the momentum of their upset triumph, Hashimoto and Zheng continued to impress, delivering a dominant performance against the No. 20 ranked duo from LSU, Julien Penzlin and Aleksi Lofman. The Columbia pair cruised to a 7-5, 6-1 victory, securing their spot in the semifinals and officially earning a place in the NCAA Doubles Championships. Their run through the doubles bracket came to an end in the semifinals, where they faced off against Baylor's Marko Miladinovic and Oskar Brostrom Poulsen, falling 7-5, 7-5 in a closely contested match.

Zheng's Singles Brilliance

While the doubles duo was making waves, Michael Zheng was also showcasing his individual prowess in the singles main draw. As the No. 2 ranked singles player in the nation, Zheng navigated his way through a series of impressive victories, securing a spot in the quarterfinals and earning a place in the NCAA Singles Championships. Zheng's run began with a 7-5, 6-2 win over the No. 61 ranked Devin Badenhorst of Baylor, followed by a 7-5, 6-3 triumph against Wake Forest's No. 26 Dhakshineswar Suresh. Zheng then delivered a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory over the No. 17 ranked JC Roddick of Texas A&M, punching his ticket to Waco. Zheng's quarterfinal match saw him fall to No. 37 Pedro Vives of TCU in a hard-fought three-set battle, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Hashimoto and Kotzen's Qualifying Efforts

While Zheng and Hashimoto were making waves in the main draws, their teammates, Hugo Hashimoto and Nicolas Kotzen, also competed in the qualifying singles draw earlier in the week. Hashimoto, ranked No. 98, opened his singles campaign with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over the No. 52 ranked Iiro Vasa of San Diego. However, Hashimoto's run came to an end in the next round, as he fell in three sets to Corey Craig of Florida State. Kotzen, ranked No. 74, faced a tough draw, losing to the No. 83 ranked Charlelie Cosnet of Kentucky in his first qualifying match. Kotzen then fell to Sean Daryabeigi of South Carolina in a consolation match.The NCAA singles and doubles championships are scheduled to take place from November 19 to November 24 in Waco, Texas, where Zheng and the Hashimoto-Zheng duo will look to continue their impressive performances and bring home championship titles for the Columbia Lions.