The No. 4 ranked Emory men's tennis team (16-5, 2-1 UAA) wrapped up play in the UAA Championships on Saturday afternoon, taking on the No. 12 ranked WashU Bears in the event's third-place match. After dropping two of the three doubles matches, the Eagles rallied to win four singles bouts to comeback and take the match, 5-3.
The Bears got out to a quick, 2-0 lead, winning the opening two doubles matches. Seniors Brandon Cohen and Ryan Glanville dropped their match on court one, 8-5, while freshman Christian Liew and graduate student Justin Waldman fell on court three, 8-5.
Sophomore Dean Kamenev and senior Nolan Shah looked to limit the damage on court two. After falling behind, 5-3, early in the match, the two rallied back to tie it up at seven. Shah and Kamenev won the match's tiebreaker, 9-7, to win the match by an 8-7 margin.
Emory entered the singles portion of the day trailing 2-1, needing four wins to rally and secure a spot on the podium.
The Bears got off to a hot start, with Colin Scruggs sweeping Shah on court two, 6-1 and 6-2, giving WashU a 3-1 lead.
Liew's dominant run in the UAA Tournament continued Saturday, winning his third straight match in straight sets. He took down his opponent on court five, both sets ending 6-2, to bring the Eagles back within striking distance. His doubles partner, Waldman, was the next Eagle to secure a point, winning his match on court four in straight sets, 6-1 and 6-3, to tie the match back up at three points apiece.
Kamenev gave Emory its first lead of the day after he topped his opponent on court one, 7-5 and 6-4, in straight sets. Needing one more win to take home a third-place finish, Glanville won a three-set match on court three to wrap it up. He dropped the first set, 2-6, before winning the final two, 6-3 and 6-2.
Emory will now shift its focus to the NCAA National Championships. The first three rounds of the tournament will take place from May 9th through May 12that regional sites, with the final rounds being held at the Dwight Davis Memorial Tennis Center in St. Louis, Missouri from May 20th to May 22nd.