The final weekend of Ivy League tennis yielded mixed results for Columbia, as the men swept Princeton and Penn, while the women lost both of their matches to the same schools. The weekend victories gave the men a record of 5-2 in the Ivy League, while the women failed to win a match in the Ivy League this season. Although the men boast an impressive record on the season, it will not be enough to win them the Ivy League title, as Harvard is currently sitting at 6-0 with one match left to go against Dartmouth.
Bogdan Borta, the number-three singles player for the men this season, has been the Lions’ most consistent performer all year. He went a combined 3-1 in both singles and doubles this weekend with his only loss coming in a doubles match that came down to a super-tiebreak. Against Princeton, Borta led the Lions to an early 1-0 lead after the Lions took the doubles point. As the match turned to singles play, Columbia got victories from Borta at number-three singles, senior Justin Chow at number-four singles, senior Jared Drucker at number-five singles, and freshman Sho Matsumoto at number-six singles. This match was Matsumoto’s first Ivy League match, and his victory would prove pivotal in the overall score. Columbia senior Mark Clemente lost his match at number-two singles in a third set tiebreak, and sophomore Jon Wong, playing at number-one singles, lost to Peter Capkovic of Princeton. Capkovic, however, is no ordinary player, as he boasts an international ranking of 400 and has beaten Radek Stepanek, a player who is ranked in the top 20 in the world. Columbia won the overall match by a score of 5-2.
Against Penn in its final match of the season, Columbia found itself playing against the same Penn team with whom it split the Ivy League title last season. The Lions defeated the Quakers in a one-match playoff last season to represent the Ivy League in the NCAA tournament. Despite the fact that neither team entered the match with a chance at winning the Ivy League, this season’s match was well-contested. Columbia took the doubles point and got quick wins from Borta and Chow. The Lions, however, lost at number-one and number-two singles to put the overall score at 3-2. Drucker, playing in his final college tennis match, won a tight three-setter at number-four singles, and Matsumoto won match at number-six singles in three sets to give Columbia a 5-2 win. The win boosted Columbia’s record in the Ivy League 5-2.
The women faced perennial powers Princeton and Penn, both of which sit near the top of the standings in the Ivy League. Coach Ilene Weintraub decided to change up the doubles teams for the match, and Columbia’s number-one doubles team of juniors Linnae Goswami and Nina Suda toppled Princeton’s number-one doubles team in an entertaining match. The Lions, however, lost the doubles point and won only one singles match courtesy of Lauren Shearer. Columbia’s more experienced Princeton counterparts overwhelmed the top of the Light Blue lineup, and the overall score of the match was 6-1.
The women played their final match of the Ivy League season in the friendly confines of the Dick Savitt Tennis Center against Penn. The Quakers, however, spoiled the occasion for the Lions, winning all of the matches except for Stephanie Zilberman and Shearer’s victory at number-two doubles. Carling Donovan put forth an amazing effort, only to lose her match at number-four singles in the third-set tiebreaker. The weekend losses left the Lions winless in the Ivy League this season.