Ephs Fall in NCAA Quarterfinals 5-4 to Johns Hopkins

 
CHATTANOOGA, TN - Williams men's tennis fell short to John Hopkins 5-4 this Monday in the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals.
 
The Ephs came out strong, sweeping the doubles matches.  Beginning with the #2 team of Chase Cohen and Austin Barr, the Ephs defeated Arjun Asokumar and Daniel Ardila 8-5. Adding to the lead, the #1 team of Calvin Chung and Arturo Kam won their match against James Yu and Thomas Yu 8-7 (9-7).  Closing out the doubles, Noah Reich and Karan Amin defeated Vishnu Joshi and Alexander Kernagis 8-6, giving the Ephs a 3-0 lead heading into singles.
 
Chase Cohen \kept the foot on the pedal, winning the #4 matchup against James Yu 6-2, 6-0.  Unrelenting, Johns Hopkins battled back beginning with Andrew Tran's 6-4, 6-0 win over Karan Amin.  Thomas Yu was able to tighten the match with a victory over Calvin Chung in the #3 matchup.  Arjun Asokumar followed suit, defeating Eph Austin Barr 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, tightening Williams lead to just one point.
 
In the #1 matchup, Arturo Kam faced Vishnu Joshi.  The two traded the first two sets with Joshi winning the first 6-2 and Kam winning the second 6-3.  Kam came up short in the third set, losing 6-0 as the Blue Jays tied the match 4-4.
 
With the tournament on the line for both teams, Noah Reich fought a nail biter against Daniel Ardila in the #5 matchup.  After losing the first set 6-, Reich battled back to win 6-1 in the second set.  In typical Reich fashion, the Eph senior extended the match to a third set tiebreaker, but ultimately he lost 6-7 (3-7), giving the Blue Jays the edge over Williams 5-4.
 
 "It was really one of the toughest matches I've seen," remarked Eph head coach Dan Greenberg following the match.  Greenberg went on to add, "i\It was painful to lose for all our guys, but it was also one of the most unexpected, rewarding seasons for all of us."  Greenberg remained positive and was extremely happy with how the team played, adding, "It didn't go our way, and JHU put up an incredible fight, but I'm proud of all our guys, especially our seniors, for leaving everything they had on court for four years."
 
It was truly a remarkable season for the Ephs despite the uncertainty and unconventional season that ensued following the COVID-19 crisis.  Williams still managed to dominate on the court, going down in history with its 16^th NESCAC title and finishing the year at 8-2.
 
Singles:
 
1. Vishnu Joshi (JHUM) def. Arturo Kam (WILLIAMS) 6-2, 3-6, 6-0
2. Arjun Asokumar (JHUM) def. Austin Barr (WILLIAMS) 6-4, 1-6, 6-1
3. Thomas Yu (JHUM) def. Calvin Chung (WILLIAMS) 4-6, 6-0, 6-1
4. Chase Cohen (WILLIAMS) def. James Yu (JHUM) 6-2, 6-0
5. Daniel Ardila (JHUM) def. Noah Reich (WILLIAMS) 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3)
6. Andrew Tran (JHUM) def. Karan Amin (WILLIAMS) 6-4, 6-0
 
Doubles:
 
1. Calvin Chung/Arturo Kam (WILLIAMS) def. James Yu/Thomas Yu (JHUM) 8-7 (9-7)
2. Chase Cohen/Austin Barr (WILLIAMS) def. Arjun Asokumar/Daniel Ardila (JHUM) 8-5
3. Noah Reich/Karan Amin (WILLIAMS) def. Vishnu Joshi/Alexander Kernagis (JHUM) 8-6
 
Match Notes:
Johns Hopkins 11-0
Williams 8-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (4,6,3,2,1,5)
2021 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championships
Quarterfinals
T-5:01 A-100