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Caltech Men’s Tennis sent shockwaves through the tennis world Saturday, defeating SCIAC rival Pomona-Pitzer Colleges by a 5-2 margin. It was the Beavers’ second time ever defeating the Sagehens, who were also the highest-ranked opponent felled by Caltech in program history.
The guests took an early lead by claiming the doubles point with set wins on Courts 3 and 2 in order, though the duo of sophomores Tejas Ram (Allen, Texas / Allen) and Constantin Cedillo-Vayson de Pradenne (Paris / Lycée Jean de La Fontaine) battled all the way to a tiebreaker before conceding 7-6 (0).
Perhaps forecasting what was in store for the rest of the match, the New Jersey-native duo of junior Andrew Zabelo (Florham Park, N.J. / Newark Academy) and sophomore Eric He (Martinsville, N.J. / Bridgewater Raritan) fought to a 6-6 tie with Sagehens Drew Goldman and Jay Mallampati, the top-ranked partnership in the ITA West Region. Zabelo and He ultimately prevailed with a 10-8 tiebreak score to claim the set 7-6.
Caltech benefitted from an early retirement in #1 Singles after Cedillo-Vayson de Pradenne had won the first four games, quickly evening the overall match at 1-1. Pomona-Pitzer claimed the next match point on Court 3, but Zabelo evened the score again in #2 Singles, taking down regional No. 7 Ethan Lee in straight sets, 7-5 and 6-2.
Eric He put Caltech ahead for the first time, outlasting his #5 Singles counterpart after two tiebreaks, picking up a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5) straight-set victory.
With all eyes on the fourth and sixth singles contests, it was sophomore Marco Yang (Fremont, Calif. / Mission San Jose) who earned the decision for Caltech, rallying after a first-set loss for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 match win, drawing an eruption from the fans and his teammates.
Energized, Ram powered through the rest of his third set, earning a fifth match point for the Beavers after a 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-3 duel.
“I love this team,” beamed Head Coach Adam Clark after the match. “These guys wanted to win this match so badly, and they fought so hard for each other to get it. We had revenge on our mind from a tough match against Pomona-Pitzer last year, so to pull this out is so special.”
Clark and the Beavers will continue their historic campaign on Tuesday, April 8 at nationally-ranked No. 36 Chapman University.
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