Men's Tennis Drops Title Match

Graham Harris

RPI Athletics on Instagram

ITHACA, N.Y. - Skidmore College won two of three doubles matches and added three straight-set singles victories in capturing the Liberty League men's tennis championship, 5-1 over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Sunday at the Reis Tennis Center.

Skidmore (14-4), ranked 20th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III poll, earned the Liberty League's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship.

The Thoroughbreds earned the first doubles point as sophomores Lucas Pickering and Steven Koulouris picked up an 8-3 victory at number three. RPI (9-8) earned a big win at first doubles as sophomore Tristan Wise and senior Sherman Uyeno recorded an 8-5 victory over junior Kai Yuen Leung and senior Nick Tong, the second-ranked doubles team in the Northeast Region.

The Thoroughbreds picked up a crucial point at second doubles. Trailing 7-4, seniors Kit Sanderson and Jonah Epstein erased an earlier break and won three straight games to pull even. In the tiebreaker at 8-all, RPI senior Graham Harris and Alain Grullon Gonzalez opened an early 4-2 lead, but Sanderson and Epstein rallied with five straight points to take the tiebreaker, 7-4 and give Skidmore a 2-1 lead heading into singles.

After grabbing the momentum, Skidmore began rolling in singles as five of six players captured first sets. Pickering was the first to finish, picking up a 6-0, 6-2 win at fourth singles. Koulouris followed with a 6-3, 6-0 win at second singles. Sophomore Ted Berkowitz picked up the clinching victory, 6-2, 6-2 at sixth singles. Sanderson was also leading 6-4, 5-0 when the match concluded.

RPI senior Anthony Kim took his opening set at fifth singles in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-5).

Skidmore will learn its NCAA opponent when selections and pairings are announced on Monday.

#20 Skidmore 5, RPI 1
May 08, 2016 at Ithaca, N.Y. (Reis Tennis Center)

Singles competition

1. Kai Yuen Leung (SKD) vs. Tristan Wise (RPI) 6-3, 3-3, unfinished

2. Steven Koulouris (SKD) def. Sherman Uyeno (RPI) 6-3, 6-0

3. Kit Sanderson (SKD) vs. Alain Grullon Gonzalez (RPI) 6-4, 5-0, unfinished

4. Lucas Pickering (SKD) def. Stephen Baxter (RPI) 6-0, 6-2

5. Nick Tong (SKD) vs. Anthony Kim (RPI) 6-7 (5-7), 4-3, unfinished

6. Ted Berkowitz (SKD) def. Suryansh Patel (RPI) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles competition

1. Tristan Wise/Sherman Uyeno (RPI) def. Kai Yuen Leung/Nick Tong (SKD) 8-5

2. Kit Sanderson/Jonah Epstein (SKD) def. Alain Grullon Gonzalez/Graham Harris (RPI) 9-8 (7-4)

3. Steven Koulouris/Lucas Pickering (SKD) def. Anthony Kim/Suryansh Patel (RPI) 8-3

Match Notes