WEST WINDSOR, New Jersey – The Marist men's tennis team fell in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Semifinals to the Quinnipiac Bobcats, 4-1, Saturday afternoon at the Mercer Park Tennis Center.
In a tight match from beginning to end, the Red Foxes were ultimately unable to topple a Quinnipiac team that they had closely beaten in the prior matchup.
The Red Foxes dropped the first doubles match, 6-1, as the Bobcats' Jonas Kuwert and Freddie Zaretsky won from the first doubles position. Undeterred, Marist bounced back with a win at the third doubles position when Joe Motta and Fredrik Bjerke handled their Quinnipiac opposition, Julian Rozenstein and Ryoma Haraguchi, 6-2.
The doubles point came down to the second position as Quinnipiac's Luke Roser and Kei Ezaka took on Rudolf Kurz and Dylan Fletcher. Kurz and Fletcher battled back from being down 5-2 at one point in the match but Quinnipiac was able to hold on for the 7-5 win and the doubles point.
Singles was much of the same back and forth action, as numerous matches went to tightly contested third sets except for the Red Foxes lone match win on the day. Fletcher came out strong, dominating Quinnipiac's Haraguchi, winning in straight sets 6-1, 6-1.
In the next match to finish, Quinnipiac's Kuwert defeated Timo Tanzer 6-4, 7-5 followed quickly by the finish at the third singles spot between Bjerke and Rozenstien. Bjerke, who looked out manned in the first set when he fell 6-1, bounced back and won the second set 6-2. Rozenstien took back control of the match and then closed out Bjerke 6-3 in the third set to put Quinnipiac up 3-1 in the overall match score.
The match came down to the first singles spot as Ezaka and Kurz squared off to either extend the match for Marist or clinch the match for Quinnipiac. Kurz cruised through the first set, winning 6-1. The hotly contested second set went to Ezaka, 7-6 (6-1). Ezaka then used the momentum from winning the huge second set and closed out Kurz, winning 6-2 in the third set, clinching the match for the Bobcats.
“The guys competed well and the better team won today,” said head coach Tim Smith. “The guys battled but we just didn't come up with some of the wins we needed. I said to the team we have some work to do and hopefully we'll go back and work harder.”
With the loss the Red Foxes finish the season 14-5 overall and will miss postseason play for the first time since 2012.
Full Results
Doubles
1. Jonas Kuwert/Freddie Zaretsky (QUM) def. Justin Chanthalangsy/Jan Dernic (MARM) 6-1
2. Luke Roser/Kei Ezaka (QUM) def. Rudolf Kurz/Dylan Fletcher (MARM) 7-5
3. Joe Motta/Fredrik Bjerke (MARM) def. Julian Rozenstein/Ryoma Haraguchi (QUM) 6-2
Singles
1. Kei Ezaka (QUM) def. Rudolf Kurz (MARM) 1-6, 7-6, 6-2
2. Willem Van Biezen (QUM) vs. Justin Chanthalangsy (MARM) 6-4, 3-6, 5-3, unfinished
3. Julian Rozenstein (QUM) def. Fredrik Bjerke (MARM) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
4. Jonas Kuwert (QUM) def. Timo Tanzer (MARM) 6-4, 7-5
5. Luke Roser (QUM) vs. Jan Dernic (MARM) 5-7, 4-5, unfinished
6. Dylan Fletcher (MARM) def. Ryoma Haraguchi (QUM) 6-1, 6-1
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (6,4,3,1)
