The #14/fifth-seeded Middlebury men's tennis team cruised to a 4-0 victory against #23/fourth-seeded Williams in Friday's conference quarterfinals from the Outdoor Tennis Courts. With the win, the Panthers move on to Saturday's semifinals.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Middlebury tallied the doubles point for a 1-0 edge. Thehan Wijemanne and Noah Laber earned a 6-2 triumph at #1, while Hugh Hentschel and Nikky Kondamuri rallied from a 4-3 deficit with three-consecutive points to win 6-4 in the second position.
- The Panthers came out of the gate strong in singles. In the fourth slot, Wijemmane secured a 6-2, 6-1 decision to push the score to a 2-0 advantage.
- Middlebury made it 3-0 when Reif Larsen tallied a straight-set victory (6-3, 6-4) at #6. The rookie rallied from 4-3 down in the second.
- Tied 5-5 in the opening set, Hentschel claimed consecutive points to earn the first set 7-5 before cruising 6-2 in the second to clinch the match.
NOTES
- Larsen moved his winning streak in singles to eight-straight matches.
- Laber and Wijemanne tallied their 13th victory as a pair.
- Middlebury is now 7-1 against Williams in the NESCAC Tournament.
The Panthers play #3/top-seeded Tufts in the conference semifinals at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. It is the second time in the last three seasons the programs will meet in that round, as Middlebury claimed a 5-3 victory in 2023.
