ITHACA, N.Y. –  The Big Red evened their Ivy League record at 2-2 by defeating Yale at the Reis Tennis Center on Friday afternoon. After taking the doubles point, Cornell was able to win five of six singles matches to complete the 6-1 victory and move to 5-0 at home.

Marc Asch and Mirza Klis opened the match for Cornell by defeating Erik Blumenkranz and Josh Lederman at third doubles, 8-3, in a match that took less than half an hour. After Jeremy Feldman and Andy Gauthier fell 8-6 in hard fought match at second doubles, it was up to the first doubles tandem of Kyle Doppelt and Josh Goldstein to continue their winning ways.  Finding themselves down a break to Mike Caldwell and Connor Dawson, Doppelt and Goldstein rallied to win the last three games and take the match, 9-7, and earn the Big Red the crucial doubles point.

Cornell would get two more quick points from its strongest two positions this year, fifth and sixth singles. Marc Asch picked up a convincing victory at fifth, 6-2, 6-1, and was quickly followed by Gauthier, who won 6-2, 6-2. On the season, the Big Red have a 14-1 record at sixth singles and a 10-5 record at fifth singles.

For the second time today, Josh Goldstein and Connor Dawson found themselves locked in a tough match.  Once again, Goldstein came out on top, winning the first set 7-6 and then cruising in the second, 6-1 to take the point at second singles. With the point, the Big Red went up 4-0 and clinched the match.

At first singles, Jon Jaklitsch was pitted against Connor's brother, Jeff, and also found himself in engaged in a tough first set. Jaklistch, like Goldstein, would win a tight first set, 7-5, but then would find his groove and close out the match at first singles easily, 6-1. 

In the only three set match of the day, John Fife would pick up another point for Cornell by defeating Mike Caldwell. The 6'6” Caldwell would use his huge serve and big game to take the first set 7-5, but Fife would summon up his hallmark determination and pin-point accuracy to take the second and third by a score of 6-3, 6-3.

In the last match of the day, Jeremy Feldman was dealt his first Ivy League defeat in his two-year career by fellow sophomore Calvin Bennett, who won 7-5, 7-5.

The Big Red return to the Reis Tennis Center in Ithaca, N.Y. tomorrow at 2 p.m. to take on Brown in a match that has huge Ivy League title implications.

Doubles
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1

1. Doppelt/Goldstein (Cornell) def. Caldwell/Dawson, 9-7
2. Bennett/Samaha (Yale) def. Feldman/Gauthier, 8-6
3. Asch/Klis (Cornell) def. Blumenkranz/Lederman, 8-3

 
Singles
Order of Finish: 5, 6, 2, 1, 3, 4

1. Jon Jaklitsch (Cornell) def. Jeff Dawson, 7-5, 6-1
2. Josh Goldstein (Cornell) def. Connor Dawson, 7-6, 6-1
3. Jon Fife (Cornell) def. Michael Caldwell, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
4. Calvin Bennett (Yale) def. Jeremy Feldman, 7-5, 7-5
5. Marc Asch (Cornell) def. Joel Samaha, 6-2, 6-1
6. Andy Gauthier (Cornell) def. Erik Blumenkraz, 6-2, 6-2