< by the class of 2013, the Carleton College men’s tennis team posted a 6-3 victory at Grinnell College, in a matchup of regionally-ranked squads. Seniors Alex Chin, Paul Cooper, and Austin Jiang each won in both singles and doubles.
Carleton (11-3), ranked No. 8 in the central region, started the day by sweeping the doubles matches from the No. 14-ranked Pioneers. Cooper and Andrew Hwang ‘15 prevailed 8-4 at the top spot, while Chin and Jiang remain undefeated as a doubles pairing this season after notching an 8-5 triumph. The rookie duo of Erik Johnson and Christian Nagy proved they could perform as well as the veterans, recording an 8-6 win at third doubles.
“A very impressive, attacking style of play by our doubles teams,” noted Carleton head coach Stephan Zweifel. “Erik and Christian were as interested in staying on the baseline as they are in haberdashery.”
Upon moving to singles, the seniors once again guided the way. Cooper scored a 6-3, 6-3 victory at second singles, and Jiang upped his win total with a 6-2, 6-0 decision at the third spot. After dropping the opening set, Chin battled back to record his 11th victory in 12 attempts, this one by a 1-6, 6-4, 10-4 ledger.
“An amazing come-from-behind victory from Alex at No. 1 singles,” said Zweifel. “He can cause more trouble with his down the line backhand than a six-year-old with a roll of Duct Tape.”
The Knights annual tour of the Hawkeye State continues on Sunday, April 14, with a match against Coe College, the No. 9 team in the region.