ORLANDO, FL — Senior Chase Cohen and junior Matt Kandel continued their NCAA Championship campaigns in singles and doubles this afternoon.
After a dominant first two rounds, Kandel continued his fine form, earning a 6-2, 7-6 win over Washington College senior Karl Hoegstedt. Hoegstedt was 11-3 in singles prior to the quarterfinals match against Kandel. Though Kandel raced to a 6-2 lead, Hoegstedt fought back brilliantly in the second set to push the set to a tiebreaker. Kandel crucially saved a set point in his straight set victory. After the match, Kandel noted, "I started off well, and I was happy with how I handed the big points to win a tight second set."
In doubles, Cohen and Kandel were seeking a return to the semifinals. Off the back of an impressive first round performance, the duo started on the right foot against Thomas and James Yu of Johns Hopkins, winning the opening set 7-5. The match was interrupted with a rain delay at earlier stages of the second set. When play resumed, the Yu brothers were off to the races as the evened the match at 1 set apiece. The Ephs battled well in the deciding set but were defeated by a single break 6-4. "Unfortunately, we didn't come out on top today, but I'm proud of the way we competed this afternoon," Cohen stated.
Head coach Dan Greenberg reflected on Day 2 stating, "Matt and Chase lost a close one there, but they've made a great partnership over the last two years in college. I'm excited to see what's in store for them in their doubles future. And of course, we're looking forward to see Matt compete tomorrow for a spot in the finals."
Kandel will face Case Western junior Vishwa Aduru tomorrow at 9 AM.
Doubles
QF: Yu/Yu (JHU) def. Cohen/Kandel (WIL) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4
Singles
QF: Kandel (WIL) def. Hoegstedt (WC) 6-2, 7-6(6)
