Schneiderman leads CU at Regional Championships

Sophomore Haig Schneiderman advanced to the semi-finals of the Wilson/ITA Regional Championships over the past week, falling one win short of representing the Northeast Region at the National Indoor Championships.

Schneiderman, the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year, was knocked out by Yale freshman Marc Powers in three tight sets. Schneiderman advanced further than any of the five other Lions singles players or the three doubles teams.

Schneiderman entered the tournament as the No. 17 seed after having an up-and-down fall campaign. Schneiderman, who was seeded No. 5 in singles last year, represented Columbia at the All-American Championships in the prequalifying singles draw, but also suffered some uncharacteristic losses in other fall tournaments.

Schneiderman knocked out No. 2 seed Eugen Brazdil from Penn in the third round in three sets, avenging a loss to Brazdil earlier this fall. Schneiderman next defeated Yale freshman John Huang in three sets, 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-4 in the Round of 16. He then played a third straight three-set match, defeating Loic Sessagesimi 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals. Fittingly, Schneiderman then played yet another three-setter, but this time he ran out of gas, losing 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

Senior Mihai Nichifor was the No. 3 seed, but he was upended in the quarterfinals by Marc Powers, 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2. Sophomore Ekin Sezgen was forced to retire in the third set of his first-round match due to injury, and freshman Rajeev Deb-Sen lost to Andy Nguyen of Harvard in three sets in the second round. Freshman Cyril Bucher played well in his first Regionals appearance, losing in the second round to the No. 1 player from St. John 6-4 in the third set.

The Lions had good results in doubles as well. Kung and Deb-Sen and the No. 4 seed Schneiderman and Wong advanced to the quarterfinals, where both teams lost. Columbia’s other entry in doubles was Nichifor and freshman Nathaniel Gery. The No. 10 seed was upset by a team from Brown, 9-8(3).

The tournament was the Lions’ last of the fall. They will next be in action late January when they begin nonconference dual matches.