<\/p>\n
ITHACA, N.Y. — Junior Rodrigo Fernandes<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n No. 29 Cornell secured its third Ivy League title in program history \u2014 and second under head coach Silviu\u00a0Tanasoiu\u00a0\u2014 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Cornell seized early momentum by capturing the doubles point. The tandem of Petar Teodorovic<\/a> and Felipe Pinzon<\/a> opened with a 6-4 win at No. 3, and Rethin Pranav Senthil Kumar<\/a> paired with Rushil Khosla<\/a> to secure the point with another 6-4 victory at No. 2. The top doubles match went unfinished, though it was tied at 6-6 and heading into tiebreakers when the No. 2 squad walked it off.<\/p>\n In singles, Columbia battled back to even the match, but Cornell responded through the middle of the lineup. Senthil Kumar gave the Big Red a 2-1 lead with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 4, and Eric Verdes<\/a> followed with a three-set victory at No. 3, defeating Sachin Palta 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, rallying back from a first-set loss..<\/p>\n The Lions answered with wins at Nos. 2, 5 and 6 and thr match was tied at 3-3 after Verdes’ win over No. 96 Palta, setting the stage for a decisive battle at the top of the lineup.<\/p>\n There, Fernandes delivered one of the biggest wins of his career, outlasting fifth-ranked Zheng in a dramatic three-set showdown, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, to clinch the match. His break leading 4-3 allowed him to clinch the match after the first two sets went to tiebreakers.<\/p>\n