FLUSHING, N.Y. — The Pratt Institute men's tennis team collected a 4-3 triumph over Neumann University to open Atlantic East Conference play on Saturday afternoon at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Pratt moves above .500 with their third straight win, improving to 5-4 overall and 1-0 in league play, while Neumann falls to 3-4 and 0-1 in league play.
The Cannoneers won the doubles point with a hard-fought, come-from-behind win by John Cherry and Nathan Park in the No. 3 position rallying from a 5-1 deficit to winning in a tiebreak, 7-6 (3). Justin Urbi and Mikah Liu took a comfortable 6-2 win in the lead doubles match.
Urbi and Liu cruised in singles play with Urbi winning 6-1, 6-1 at the top of the lineup and Liu dropping just one game in a a 6-0, 6-1 triumph. The Knights won the next two matches at No. 5 and No. 6 to close the Pratt lead to 3-2 as the final two matches went to a third set with the overall match in the balance.
Cherry delivered the clinching point for the Cannoneers at No. 4 singles winning 6-1, 4-6, 7-5. Park won his opening set at No. 3 singles and was deadlocked in the third before being forced to retire, 4-6, 6-1, 5-5 (ret).
Pratt travels to Virginia to face defending league champions Marymount University on Saturday, March 29 for a noon showdown.
