ITHACA, N.Y. — Junior Rodrigo Fernandes etched his name into Cornell men’s tennis history, rallying for a gutsy three-set win over Columbia’s two-time NCAA singles champion Michael Zheng to clinch a 4-3 victory for the Big Red on Saturday afternoon at a packed Reis Tennis Center. The Big Red improved to 18-3 and earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while Columbia fell to 16-7 and is expected to receive an at-large selection.
No. 29 Cornell secured its third Ivy League title in program history — and second under head coach Silviu Tanasoiu — by knocking off the 22nd-ranked Lions. In a matchup fitting of two top-30 programs, the result came down to the first and final court. Fernandes delivered under pressure, outlasting three-time NCAA finalist Zheng in a decisive third set to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
With the win, Cornell and Columbia both finished 6-1 in Ivy League play, with the Big Red claiming the title and NCAA berth via the head-to-head tiebreaker.
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