LOS ANGELES – The UCLA men’s tennis team forced three third sets, but were ultimately defeated by No. 11 Columbia in a 4-0 decision Thursday afternoon at Los Angeles Tennis Center.
Hugo Hashimoto clinched the win in a second-set tiebreak, preventing Stefan Leustian of the Bruins (7-4) from forcing a third set of his own. Nicolas Kotzen and Max Westphal were also victorious for the Lions (11-1), who started the day by picking up the doubles point.
Columbia’s top-line doubles team of Theo Winegar and Michael Zheng secured six of seven games against Giacomo Revelli and Patrick Zahraj to notch the day’s first win. Then, on Court 3, Alex Kotzen and Nicolas Kotzen outlasted Leustian and Azuma Visaya 6-4 to clinch the initial point.
The Lions collected each of the singles first sets – two by tiebreaker – but Revelli, Zahraj and Gianluca Ballotta answered on their respective courts. Leustian attempted to do the same, forcing a tiebreaker with Hashimoto on Court 5, but came up short in the 7-5, 7-6(0) clinching result.
Nicolas Kotzen posted the first singles point, defeating Azuma Visaya by a 6-3, 6-2 margin. No. 75 Max Westphal then held off Aadarsh Tripathi 7-6(4), 6-4 on Court 3.
UCLA completes its three-match week and the non-conference portion of its schedule Saturday, when it hosts Oklahoma State. First serve is set for 12 p.m. PT.
Tennis Match Results
Columbia vs UCLA
3/16/2023 at Los Angeles, CA
(Los Angeles Tennis Center)
#11 Columbia 4, #32 UCLA 0
Singles…
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