ITHACA, N.Y. — The men's tennis team ran its perfect start to the dual season to eight straight with a 5-1 victory over Yale on Friday in the quarterfinals of the ECAC Indoor Championships at Reis Tennis Center.

The host Big Red, which is seeded third among the field's eight teams this weekend, started off by securing the doubles point — clinched by a 6-4 decision from Nathan Mao and Adit Sinha at the #3 position.

Sinha then made quick work of his opponent at #6 singles to double the lead with Radu Papoe not far behind with a straight-set victory at #3. That left Cornell with a 3-0 lead, though all four remaining matches went to a third set. While sixth-ranked Yale (4-3) prevailed in a matchup of nationally-ranked competitors at #1, senior Pietro Rimondini clinched the match with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 triumph at #5.

Cornell advances to the semifinals, where it will take on second-seeded Columbia at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Cornell 5, Yale 1

At Reis Tennis Center; Ithaca, N.Y.
Singles
1. #102 Michael Sun (Y) def. #27 Alafia Ayeni, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
2. Vladislav Melnic (C) def. Theo Dean, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 
3. Radu Papoe (C) def. Cody Lin, 6-1, 6-3
4. Evan Bynoe (C) vs. Aidan Reilly, DNF
5. Pietro Rimondini (C) def. Shervin Dehmoubed, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
6. Adit Sinha (C) def. Walker Oberg, 6-0, 6-1
Doubles
1. Ayeni/Melnic (C) def. Lin/Sun, 6-4
2. Dean/Reilly (Y) def. Bynoe/Rimondini, 6-2
3. Nathan Mao/Sinha (C) def. Renaud Lefevre/Oberg, 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3), Singles (6,3,1,5,2)