HANOVER, NH -- The Williams College men's tennis team wrapped up the final day of the Dartmouth Invitational with an action-packed series of matches that left the crowd on the edge of their seats. What began under the cool, overcast skies for doubles quickly turned into a heated showdown as the sun emerged, raising both the temperature and the intensity of the play.
In doubles, the Ephs battled valiantly against pairings from Dartmouth. The pairing of Knox-Jones and Yuan from Dartmouth edged out
Shawn Berdia and
Robert Cooper Jr. in a thrilling 6-4 match that had spectators holding their breath with every volley. However, the Williams duo of
Leon Liu and
Diego Marin delivered a standout performance, claiming a hard-fought 6-4 victory over Dartmouth's Barber and Onuma, drawing cheers from the sidelines. Guerrero and Takeda of Dartmouth proved a tough challenge, defeating
Andrew Chong and
Jack Ling 6-1, but the energy from the crowd never waned, even as the match concluded.
The excitement carried over into singles, where Williams faced some of the day's toughest competition. Liu fought tooth and nail against Qadir in a tightly contested 6-4, 6-4 match, each point sparking applause and gasps from an engaged audience. Marin's match against Yuan took the drama to new heights, with Marin claiming the first set before Yuan mounted an impressive comeback to win 4-6, 6-4, 10-2.
As the afternoon wore on, Williams continued to fight with heart, though the scores didn't always reflect the effort. Ling battled hard in his match against Barber but fell 6-1, 6-2, while Chong faced a relentless performance from Peterson of Bryant, who came away with a 6-4, 6-0 win. Berdia closed out the singles matches for the Ephs, facing an unstoppable Guerrero in a 6-0, 6-2 result, but the support from the crowd never faltered, energizing the players on both sides of the net.
Despite the mixed results, the Ephs demonstrated resilience and determination throughout the weekend. With valuable experience gained, the team is eager to build on these efforts as they look ahead to the rest of the fall season.
Doubles:
Knox-Jones/Yuan (DART) def. Berdia/Cooper (WIL) 6-4
Liu/Marin (WILL) def. Barber/Onuma (DART) 6-4
Guerrero/Takeda (DART) def. Chong/Ling (WIL) 6-1
Singles:
Qadir (DART) def. Liu (WIL) 6-4, 6-4
Yuan (DART) def. Marin (WIL) 4-6, 6-4, 10-2
Barber (DART) def. Ling (WIL) 6-1, 6-2
Peterson (BRY) def. Chong (WIL) 6-4, 6-0
Guerrero (DART) def. Berdia (WIL) 6-0, 6-2
