Michigan
Columbia
Wolverines Slide Past Columbia
3/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
March 12, 2016
» U-M got singles wins from Myles Schalet, Jathan Malik and Runhao Hua to take the 4-2 win.
» Runhao Hua clinched the team match with a 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 win at No. 5 after Columbia had cut Michigan's lead to 3-2.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: #24 Michigan 4, Columbia 2
Records: U-M (11-3), Columbia (8-4)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, March 12 -- vs. Toledo (Varsity Tennis Center), 6 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 24-ranked University of Michigan men's tennis team grabbed the doubles point and hung on for three singles wins in a 4-2 victory over Columbia on Saturday afternoon (March 12) at the Varsity Tennis Center.
Michigan rallied for the doubles point, winning at No. 1 and No. 3 after falling at No. 2. Sophomore Runhao Hua and junior/sophomore Alex Knight evened the doubles ledger at one match each with a 6-4 win at No. 1. Hua and Knight broke for a 3-1 lead when a Columbia volley found the net. Hua went back to serve for the match at 5-3, but Columbia held off two match points to get back on serve at 5-4.
The Wolverine duo wasted no time getting the break back, taking a 40-30 lead in the ensuing game. After Columbia staved off one match point with an ace, Michigan took the game and match on the deciding point when a volley went long for the Lions.
At No. 3, the teams traded breaks to start before settling in. Neither team could gain the upper hand until freshmen Myles Schalet and Gabe Tishman broke for a 6-5 lead on a deuce point. Tishman served out the match in the next game, sealing the doubles point and 1-0 lead for the Maize and Blue.
U-M grabbed five first sets in singles action. Schalet was the first Wolverine off court, winning 6-2, 7-5 at No. 6. Schalet was down 5-3 in the second before ripping off four straight games for the straight-set win.
Junior Jathan Malik put Michigan's third point on the board, winning 6-3, 7-6 (8) at No. 2. In the breaker, Malik fell behind 2-0 before taking a 6-3 lead. Not able to convert on his first three match points in the tiebreaker, Malik finally came through at 9-8 with a cross-court winner for the 10-8 victory.
Sophomore Carter Lin held two match points in his second-set tiebreaker but could not come through in either, falling 10-8 to force a third set.
At the same time, Columbia took wins at No. 1 and No. 4 to cut Michigan's lead to 3-2.
Needing one more point to clinch the team match, it was up to Lin and Hua who were left on court. Hua took advantage of a late break in the third set, winning the final two games for a 7-5 win in the third to wrap up a 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 win at No. 5.
Lin was on serve at 4-4 in the third set when his match was abandoned.
Michigan plays again later today (Saturday, March 12), taking on Toledo at 6 p.m.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- Shawn Hadavi (Columbia) d. No. 60 Alex Knight (U-M), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
No. 2 -- No. 85 Jathan Malik (U-M)d. Victor Pham (Columbia), 6-3, 7-6 (8)
No. 3 -- No. 123 Carter Lin (U-M) vs. Mike Vermeer (Columbia), 6-4, 6-7 (8), 4-4 abandoned
No. 4 -- Eric Rubin (Columbia) d. Kevin Wong (U-M), 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-1
No. 5 -- Runhao Hua (U-M) d. Michael Rolski (Columbia), 6-3, 5-7, 7-5
No. 6 -- Myles Schalet (U-M) d. Timothy Wang (Columbia), 6-2, 7-5
Doubles
No. 1 -- Alex Knight/Runhao Hua (U-M) d. Shawn Hadavi/Richard Pham (Columbia), 6-4
No. 2 -- Mike Vermeer/Michael Rolski (Columbia) d. Jathan Malik/Kevin Wong (U-M), 6-4
No. 3 -- Gabe Tishman/Myles Schalet (U-M) d. Christopher Grant/Miguel Alda (Columbia), 7-5
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-1-3; Singles 6-2-1-4-5
Communications Contact: Sarah VanMetre
Players Mentioned
