Box Score
HAVERFORD, Va. -- Facing a two-point deficit with just three singles matches left to play, the Christopher Newport men's tennis team rallied for a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Haverford College on Saturday, in a battle of regionally-ranked foes. The Captains, ranked No. 8 in the Atlantic South, improves to 9-4 on the season, while the 13th-ranked team in the region, Haverford, falls to 4-3.
Rookie
Arttu Fiva clinched the thrilling win for the Captains, capturing a straight set victory at No. 4 singles. With the match on the line, the first-year player showed his mettle by taking a 6-2 lead over Andy Dougherty, and finishing off his Fords counterpart with a 6-4 second set.
A pair of doubles wins got Haverford off to a good start, and the home team would add wins in two of the first three singles matches to take a 4-2 lead. The Captains rookie tandem at No. 1 doubles,
Steven Boslet and
Sam Thomson, battled at the top spot, but would eventually drop a 9-7 match to Luis Acaba and Sloan Millman. The lone doubles victory for CNU came at No. 2, where sophomore
Chiraag Shetty and senior
Joona Rahko paired for an 8-4 win over Harrison Elbert and Matt Romei.
The third and final doubles matchup was also close, as
Michael Dodd and Fiva suffered an 8-6 setback at No. 3, falling to Dougherty and Devin Van Dyke.
Needing just one more point to clinch the match, Haverford was unable to stave off the furious CNU comeback. First, Rahko took down his oppoonent at No. 4 singles, Jacob Youse, after a tough first set. He finished out the win 7-5, 6-1 to pull the Captains back within one.
Then, at No. 6 singles,
Michael Dodd held off Robert Homan for a 6-4, 6-1 win to tie the match at four points apiece. That win would set up the clinching victory from Fiva. The rookie from Finland led 5-3 in the second set, gave up a game, but clinched by holding serve for the final game, set and match.
The Captains road trip will continue on Saturday, as the team travels to The College of New Jersey for a match set to begin at Noon.
