ITHACA, N.Y. -- Junior Rodrigo Fernandes etched his name into Cornell men's tennis history, rallying for a gutsy three-set win over Columbia's two-time NCAA singles champion Michael Zheng to clinch a 4-3 victory for the Big Red on Saturday afternoon at a packed Reis Tennis Center. The Big Red improved to 18-3 and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while Columbia fell to 16-7 and is expected to receive an at-large selection.
No. 29 Cornell secured its third Ivy League title in program history — and second under head coach Silviu Tanasoiu — by knocking off the 22nd-ranked Lions. In a matchup fitting of two top-30 programs, the result came down to the first and final court. Fernandes delivered under pressure, outlasting three-time NCAA finalist Zheng in a decisive third set to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
With the win, Cornell and Columbia both finished 6-1 in Ivy League play, with the Big Red claiming the title and NCAA berth via the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Cornell seized early momentum by capturing the doubles point. The tandem of Petar Teodorovic and Felipe Pinzon opened with a 6-4 win at No. 3, and Rethin Pranav Senthil Kumar paired with Rushil Khosla to secure the point with another 6-4 victory at No. 2. The top doubles match went unfinished, though it was tied at 6-6 and heading into tiebreakers when the No. 2 squad walked it off.
In singles, Columbia battled back to even the match, but Cornell responded through the middle of the lineup. Senthil Kumar gave the Big Red a 2-1 lead with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 4, and Eric Verdes followed with a three-set victory at No. 3, defeating Sachin Palta 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, rallying back from a first-set loss..
The Lions answered with wins at Nos. 2, 5 and 6 and thr match was tied at 3-3 after Verdes' win over No. 96 Palta, setting the stage for a decisive battle at the top of the lineup.
There, Fernandes delivered one of the biggest wins of his career, outlasting fifth-ranked Zheng in a dramatic three-set showdown, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, to clinch the match. His break leading 4-3 allowed him to clinch the match after the first two sets went to tiebreakers.
During the changeover between doubles and singles, the Big Red honored seniors Teodorovic and captain Aman Sharma. The duo both played big roles in extending Cornell's win streak over the Lions in Ithaca to three matches.
The Big Red will find out its NCAA Tournament fate on Monday, April 27 at 4 p.m. during the annual selection show.
