<ul Cooper ‘13 gave up a combined four games while wining in both doubles and singles to push the Carleton College men’s tennis team to an 8-1 triumph over St. Cloud State University, a NCAA Division II program. This was the Knights seventh straight victory.
Although Cooper and Alex Chin are both seniors, today marked the first time they played together in doubles. The pairing looked natural, as the duo combined for an 8-2 victory at first doubles. Later in singles, Cooper prevailed by a 6-2, 6-0 score, and Chin also won handily to remain undefeated this season.
“Although Paul’s style of play is sometimes as easy to fathom as the square root of negative 1, he was a tremendous anchor in both our doubles and singles line up today,” said Carleton head coach Stephan Zweifel.
Carleton also debuted a new combination at second doubles, as sophomores Andrew Hwang and Avery Rux recovered for a 9-7 victory.
“Avery and Andrew’s doubles match resembled the recent Carnival Cruise Line adventure,” Zweifel said. “The match began a little uncomfortably as they got down a quick break, but they eventually found a way to pool their resources and survive the experience.”
Both players saw their singles matches require a third set. The Huskies lone point of the afternoon came atop the lineup, but Hwang prevailed 6-1, 4-6, and 10-6 at third singles.
McCoy Becker ‘14 and Erik Johnson ‘16 ensured a Carleton sweep of the doubles matches with an 8-3 decision.
Becker dominated to the tune of a 6-1, 6-1 score at fifth singles, with Nelson Wolf ‘14 rounding out the day with a straight-set triumph at the sixth slot.
The Knights finished the indoor season with an 8-1 record. “It has been a very successful winter season,” Zweifel said, “but we are eager to slap on some sunscreen and start our outdoor season in San Diego in two weeks.”