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ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Sophomore McKinley Grimes posted a three-set victory at No. 1 singles in the final match of the day to give the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's tennis team a dramatic 5-4 victory over the University of Rochester, the 40th-ranked team in the nation, at the Lyman Tennis Center. The match lasted five hours and 15 minutes.

The Engineers, who are ranked 14th in the Northeast Region, improve to 10-3, while the Yellowjackets, ranked 13th in the region, fall to 8-8.

RPI broke out to a 4-0 lead with wins in all three doubles matches, including 8-3 by Grimes (Bedford, NH / Bedford) and Brandon Mazzara (Orange, CA / Villa Park) at No. 1, and a 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 5 singles by junior Sherman Uyeno (Brea, CA / Brea Olinda). Rochester battled back to win the next four matches, two of which went to three sets and another that included a tiebreak. Mazzara lost at No. 2, 3-6, 6-0, 6-1, and junior Alain Grullon Gonzalez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic / St. Michael's School) fell at No. 4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3. Sophomore Stephen Baxter (Carmel, IN / Carmel) was beaten at No. 6, 7-6 (6), 6-1. 

With the match tied, the decisive match was between Grimes, who is ranked 25th in singles in the region, and junior Ian Baranowski (Syosset, NY / Syosset). Grimes won the first set, 6-3, before falling in the second on a tiebreak, 6-7 (7). He came back in the third, clinching the win for the Engineers with a 7-5 victory.
 

Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. vs University of Rochester (4/12/2015)

Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. 5, #40 University of Rochester 4
4/12/2015 at Rochester, NY (Lyman Tennis Center) 

Singles competition

1. McKinley Grimes (RPIMT) def. Ian Baranowski (URM) 6-3, 6-7 (6-8), 7-5

2. Ben Shapiro (URM) def. Brandon Mazzara (RPIMT) 3-6, 6-0, 6-1

3. Jonny Baker (URM) def. Tristan Wise (RPIMT) 6-4, 6-3

4. Julian Danko (URM) def. Alain Grullon Gonzalez (RPIMT) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3

5. Sherman Uyeno (RPIMT) def. Sam Leeman (URM) 6-2, 6-1

6. Aaron Mevorach (URM) def. Stephen Baxter (RPIMT) 7-6 (8-6), 6-1

 

Doubles competition

1. McKinley Grimes/Brandon Mazzara (RPIMT) def. Ian Baranowski/Aaron Mevorach (URM) 8-3

2. Tristan Wise/Alain Grullon Gonzalez (RPIMT) def. Ben Shapiro/Jonny Baker (URM) 8-6

3. Sherman Uyeno/Graham Harris (RPIMT) def. Sam Leeman/Julian Danko (URM) 8-4

 

Match Notes

Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. 10-3; Regional ranking #14

University of Rochester 8-8; National ranking #40; Regional ranking #13

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (5,3,2,6,4,1)

T-5:15 A-75