Cornell had a rough weekend, taking two losses. The Rams lost to Grinnell 9-0 on Sunday.
Alexander Hadler-Strumlauf competed well at the top spot in Cornell’s lineup, dropping a 7-5, 6-3 singles match to Grinnell’s No. 1 player Bowen Mince.
The 17-time defending MWC champion Pioneers (7-9 overall, 2-0 MWC) lost only three games in the remaining five singles bouts.
Hadler-Strumlauf and Justin Mendez put up a fight at No. 1 doubles, falling 8-5. Grinnell won 8-0 at No. 2 doubles and 8-1 at No. 3.
Earlier in the weekend, Cornell’s men’s tennis team with a 9-0 dual loss to Lake Forest inside the Small Sport Center Arena.
Cornell sophomore No. 1 player Hadler-Strumlauf hung tough with Oleksyi Vyshyvanyuk in a 6-2, 6-4 setback. At No. 3 singles, Chris Penas-Hull fell by the same margin – 6-4, 6-2 – to Zach Cho.
Lake Forest (7-7 overall, 1-0 MWC) took all six singles matches in straight sets.
Cornell’s No. 1 doubles pair of Hadler-Strumlauf and Justin Mendez dropped an 8-4 decision. Penas-Hull and Edwin Holyoake fell 8-2 at No. 2, while Bryce Fincher and Ravi Parekh were shut out at No. 3.
Earlier in the week, the Cornell men’s tennis team took a 7-2 dual over the Martin Luther Knights. Hadler-Strumlauf and Polidori both notched their 10th singles wins of the spring as Cornell’s men’s tennis team downed Martin Luther, 7-2, Thursday inside the Small Sport Center Arena.
The Rams built an early 2-1 lead in the dual with convincing 8-1 doubles wins from No. 1 pair Hadler-Strumlauf and Justin Mendez, and No. 2 tandem Polidori and Penas-Hull. Cornell’s Holyoake and Parekh were edged 8-5 at the No. 3 position.
Cornell claimed straight-set victories in four singles matches. Hadler-Strumlauf won 6-3, 6-2 at the top of the lineup, boosting his singles record to 10-4. At No. 2, Polidori coasted 6-1, 6-2 and raised his season record to 10-3.
Penas-Hull dropped only one game in his 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 3. Mendez also had no trouble in a 6-1, 6-0 victory.
Holyoake finished off the meet by outlasting his No. 5 singles opponent in a third-set tiebreaker, 6-3, 6-7 (7) and 10-3.
Coming up – Cornell (6-11 overall, 0-2 MWC) is on the road Saturday for duals against Lawrence at 9:30 a.m. and Ripon at 2:30 p.m.