Michigan
Columbia
Michigan's NCAA Tournament Ends With Heartbreaking Loss to No. 8 Columbia
5/4/2024 6:34:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Site: New York, N.Y. (Milstein Family Tennis Center)
Event: NCAA Tournament (Second Round)
Score: Michigan 2, #8 Columbia 4
Records: U-M (17-13), Columbia (22-3)
Next U-M Event: Monday, May 20 -- at NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships (Stillwater, Okla.)
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- A weather delay stalled the momentum of the University of Michigan men's tennis team as the Wolverines' rally against No. 8-ranked Columbia fell short in a 4-2 loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday (May 4) at the Milstein Family Tennis Center.
TheLions took the doubles point but Michigan (17-13) took four of six first sets, including two in tiebreakers, in singles play. However, Columbia (22-3) grabbed a 2-0 lead with a win at No. 4 singles as Max Westphal defeated Patorn Hanchaikul 6-4, 6-2.
Will Cooksey put Michigan on the board at No. 5 when he took a 7-6 (5), 6-2 match from Hugo Hashimoto, but just minutes later No. 12 Michael Zheng topped No. 18 Gavin Young in matching 6-4 sets to push the Lions ahead 3-1.
The remaining three matches also were pushed into third sets.
At No. 6, Nicholas Steiglehner found himself down 4-3 in the third set before he rallied for three straight wins to take the match and put Michigan within one on the scoreboard, 3-2. The win marked a career-best streak for the native New Yorker as he extended it to nine straight matches.
Michigan had all the momentum as No. 113 Jacob Bickersteth led No. 100 Alex Kotzen 4-3 on serve at No. 2, while Bjorn Swenson had just broke Nicholas Kotzen to make it 5-5 at No. 3 when officials halted the match for raindrops.
When the rain did not come in and with the courts dry 33 minutes later, play resumed.
Swenson and Alex Kotzen each traded a game to head into a third-set tiebreaker. Swenson went up 4-2 in the tiebreaker with back-to-back points. He held his two-point edge at 5-3, but Kotzen fought off match point and won four straight points to win the match and advance Columbia to the Super Regional.
Bickersteth and Nicholas Kotzen traded games when played resumed before Kotzen broke to sit at 5-5 when the match was abandoned.
Michigan concludes its team season with a 17-13 overall record and its eighth consecutive NCAA appearance. Young and Bickersteth's seasons continue in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships beginning on Monday, May 20 at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater, Okla.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 12 Michael Zheng (Columbia) d. No. 18 Gavin Young (U-M), 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 -- No. 113 Jacob Bickersteth (U-M) vs. No. 100 Alex Kotzen (Columbia), 7-5, 2-6, 5-5 abandoned
No. 3 -- Nicolas Kotzen (Columbia) d. Bjorn Swenson (U-M), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (5)
No. 4 -- Max Westphal (Columbia) d. Patorn Hanchaikul (U-M), 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 -- Will Cooksey (U-M) d. Hugo Hashimoto (Columbia), 7-6 (5), 6-2
No. 6 -- Nicholas Steiglehner (U-M) d. Henry Ruger (Columbia), 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 23 Gavin Young/Jacob Bickersteth (U-M) vs. No. 16 Theo Winegar/Michael Zheng (Columbia), 4-5 abandoned
No. 2 -- Alex Kotzen/Max Westphal (Columbia) d. Patorn Hanchaikul/Will Cooksey (U-M), 6-2
No. 3 -- Sachin Palta/Hugo Hashimoto (Columbia) d. Mert Oral/Bjorn Swenson (U-M), 6-2
Order of Completion: Doubles 2-3, Singles 4-5-1-6-3
Players Mentioned
