Columbia Knocks Off Michigan, Advances to Sweet 16

The No. 8 Columbia men’s tennis team held on to take a 4-2 win over No. 26 Michigan and advance to the Sweet 16 on Saturday afternoon at the Philip and Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center.

Columbia will return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. It will be Columbia’s fifth Sweet 16 appearance in program history. The Lions will host No. 9 Arizona for the Sweet 16 matchup at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 11 at the Milstein Family Tennis Center.

“I am extremely proud of our players,” Bidyut K. Goswami Head Coach of Men’s Tennis Howard Endelman ‘87CC said. It was a special college tennis match. Michigan is a great program and it was an honor to compete against them. The result happened to go in our favor today. We are grateful to all the members of the Columbia Tennis family who supported us today.”

Columbia cruised through doubles to take the early lead. Nicolas Kotzen and Max Westphal took a 6-2 win over Patorn Hanchaikul and Will Cooksey in the No. 2 doubles before the duo of Alex Kotzen and Henry Ruger clinched the doubles point for the Lions with a 6-2 victory against Mert Oral and Bjorn Swenson in the No. 3 spot.

Max Westphal secured the first singles victory of the match for the Lions with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Hanchaikul in the No. 4 position. Michigan responded as Cooksey posted a 7-6(3), 6-2 victory against Hugo Hashimoto in the No. 5 singles. No. 23 Michael Zheng then knocked off No. 18 Gavin Young, 6-4, 6-4 to put Columbia up, 3-1.

In need of just one point to advance to the Sweet 16, brothers Alex and Nicolas Kotzen remained in singles. A weather delay briefly stopped the match before the Lions were able to prevail.

Nicolas Kotzen dropped the first set of his match against No. 113 Jacob Bickersteth before bouncing back to win the next two sets and take a 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(5) victory that clinched Columbia’s team victory.

RESULTS

#8 Columbia 4, #26 Michigan 2

Singles

1. #23 Michael Zheng (COL) def. #18 Gavin Young (UM) 6-4, 6-4
2. #100 Alex Kotzen (COL) vs. #113 Jacob Bickersteth (UM) 5-7, 6-2, 5-5 (unfinished)
3. Nicolas Kotzen (COL) def. Bjorn Swenson (UM) 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(5)
4. Max Westphal (COL) def. Patorn Hanchaikul (UM) 6-4, 6-2
5. Will Cooksey (UM) def. Hugo Hashimoto (COL) 7-6(3), 6-2
6. Nicholas Steiglehner (UM) def. Henry Ruger (COL) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4

Doubles

1. #16 Theo Winegar/Michael Zheng (COL) vs. #23 Gavin Young/Jacob Bickersteth (UM) 5-4 (unfinished)
2. Nicolas Kotzen/Max Westphal (COL) def. Patorn Hanchaikul/Will Cooksey (UM) 6-2
3. Alex Kotzen/Henry Ruger (COL) def. Mert Oral/Bjorn Swenson (UM) 6-2

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