NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The play of seniors Yuv Kataria and Aniketh Vipparla allowed the Carleton College men’s tennis team to overcome a doubles deficit and defeat University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 6-3 on Senior Day at the Pat Lamb Tennis Courts.
UW-Eau Claire (6-13) grabbed the early advantage after securing 8-6 wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. Kataria and Vipparla began the Carleton (13-5) comeback as they trailed 5-4 at No. 2 doubles before winning the next four games to claim the 8-5 win.
“Yuv Kataria set the pace for our comeback in singles with his convincing win at the top of the lineup,” said Carleton head coach Stephan Zweifel. “The last time I saw hands that steady was on a grandfather clock.”
Kataria dispatched Demetri Bush at No. 1 singles by a convincing 6-3, 6-0 tally. Four other Knights also won in straight sets.
Baiyun Jing and Cooper Kline both registered their team-high 12th solo victories of the season. Jing bested his opponent at No. 2 singles by a 6-4, 6-3 margin, while Kline recorded a 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 3 singles.
Jasper Yang and Jack Rivkin secured their 11th singles triumphs of the year. The former won 6-2, 6-4 at the fourth slot, while the latter pulled away for a 6-4, 6-0 result at the sixth spot in the lineup.
Vipparla dropped an extremely tight battle at No. 5 singles, ultimately falling 5-7, 7-6 (9-7), 1-0 (10-4) to Ethan Wurtzel.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton travels to face Saint John University in the regular-season finale on Sunday, April 28 at 3:00 pm Due to rain in the forecast, that match has been indoors at Sta-fit in Sartel, Minn. The Knights have already locked up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming five-team MIAC Playoffs, while Saint John’s is tied with Macalester and St. Olaf for fourth place in the standings.
