The No. 11 ranked Emory University men's tennis team is headed back to the national quarterfinals after defeating No. 6 Johns Hopkins University in the NCAA regional final Sunday afternoon on the campus of NC Wesleyan in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
The Eagles will be making their 34th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight after besting the Blue Jays, 4-1, on Sunday. Emory now advances to the final site of the Champions Tennis Club in Chattanooga, Tennessee where the team will meet No. 2 ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Tuesday, May 19.
Sunday afternoon started with the Eagles posting a doubles sweep to get on the scoreboard first as the sophomore tandem of Ruilin Feng and Ajay Kartik scored a 6-2 verdict on the top court before senior Dean Kamenev and junior Joshua Lai netted the decisive 7-5 line on court three. When play concluded, the Eagles held the lead on court two as well with senior John Lasanajak and freshman Daniel Kim in front 6-5 on court two.
Kartik extended the Eagles lead as he was the first to finish in singles play as he registered a 6-4, 6-4 line on court four.
Johns Hopkins avoided the shutout with a 6-4, 6-3 decision over freshman Matthew Johnstone on court five but the Eagles quickly thwarted any chance of a Blue Jays comeback.
Kim pushed Emory on the brink of the win as he came through at 7-6, 7-5 on court three prior to Kamenev posting the clinching win as he won in three sets on court two, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
When play was halted, Feng was entrenched in a three-set fight of his own on the No. 1 court, 6-2, 2-6, 2-2, and on court six, junior Ryan Nash led 7-5, 2-5.
Stay tuned to EmoryAthletics.com for more information regarding the national quarterfinals as it is made available.
