SAN DIEGO – No. 6 San Diego Men's Tennis suffered a narrow 3-4 defeat to No. 7 Columbia Monday after what was the biggest match in Hogan Tennis Center history, a four-hour contest ending with Oliver Tarvet's thrilling victory over the nation's No. 1 player.
 
The Toreros, moving to 14-3 on the season, battled throughout, but were ultimately overcome with an unfortunate loss at No. 6 singles. Grad Blake Kasday was a game away from a straight-set victory to tie the overall match at 3-3 when he was overcome by an untimely injury. He would drop that set in a tiebreak and despite hobbling to a set-opening break, fell in the deciding third 2-6 for the visiting Lions to clinch 4-2.
 
The two top-10 players on main court would play out their match, however. After splitting the first two sets 7-5, eight-ranked fell into an 0-3 hole to the nation's top player, Michael Zheng in the third set. But, Tarvet would rally off a remarkable six unanswered games to win the match.
 
Monday's matinee was ultimately decided by the very first point, the doubles point. Columbia got out front first with a 6-0 win at No. 2 doubles. While the No. 2 ranked duo of Tarvet and redshirt-junior Stian Klaassen were back together and on pace for a victory on court one. On court three, however, the Lions claimed the doubles point with a contested 7-5 result.
 
In singles play, the Toreros got out to five first set leads through the first five sets, but the visitors doubled their lead, winning 6-3, 6-1 at No. 4 singles.
 
Junior Neo Niedner quickly answered with his fourth-straight singles win, victorious in straight sets on court five, 6-2, 6-3. The one-point deficit was short-lived as ITA No. 30 Nicolas Kotzen bested USD's No. 52 Savriyan Danilov after being down set point in the first, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3.
 
Up Next
The Toreros return to the Hogan Tennis Center for a seventh straight home match Friday morning, taking on another talented Ivy League squad in current No. 12 Harvard at 10 a.m.
 
Results
Singles
1. #2 Oliver Tarvet/Stian Klaassen (USD) vs. #36 Michael Zheng/Nicolas Kotzen (COL) 5-3, unfinished
2. Max Westphal/Sachin Palta (COL) def. Neo Niedner/Savriyan Danilov (USD) 6-0
3. Hugo Hashimoto/Jayden Templeman (COL) def. Nikhil Niranjan/Adrien Berrut (USD-M) 6-4
 
Doubles
1. #8 Oliver Tarvet (USD) def. #1 Michael Zheng (COL) 5-7, 7-5, 6-3
2. #30 Nicolas Kotzen (COL) def. #52 Savriyan Danilov (USD) 7-6 (9-7), 6-3
3. #114 Stian Klaassen (USD) def. #51 Hugo Hashimoto (COL) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
4. Max Westphal (COL) def. Adrien Berrut (USD) 6-3, 6-1
5. Neo Niedner (USD) def. T. Boosarawongse (COL) 6-2, 6-3
6. Sachin Palta (COL) def. Blake Kasday (USD) 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2
Match Notes:
Columbia 10-3; National ranking #7
San Diego 14-3; National ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (4,5,2,3,6,1)