HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – The Carleton College men's tennis team opened its first Spring Break trip in three years with a 7-2 victory over the College of Wooster. Four of the nine matches required tiebreakers as the Knights faced competition for the first time in two weeks.
 
The Knights (7-1) led 2-1 after doubles, including a comeback win at the third slot as Aswath Viswanathan (Jr./Lincolnshire, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) and Bence Kisgeczi (Sr./Budapest, Hungary/Szent István) rallied from down a break to earn an 8-7 (7-2) triumph. Carleton also broke out a new pairing at No. 2 doubles, where rookies Tarm Rojanasoonthon (Fy./Bangkok, Thailand/Chulalongkorn) and Tate Fuller (Fy./Seattle, Wash./Lakeside) cruised to an 8-3 victory.
 
Carleton clinched the match by winning the first four singles matches to finish.
 
Will Stepanski (Jr./Villa Park, Calif./Villa Park) was a late addition to the lineup but showed he was ready to go by earning a quick 6-1, 6-1 win at the sixth slot. Xander Roti (Sr./Locust Valley, N.Y./Friends Academy) maintained his perfect ledger in 2022 and inched Carleton closer to the team win with his 6-1, 6-4 result at No. 3 singles. Roti is now 7-0 in singles (along with 2-0 in doubles) this season.
 
"Watching Xander's clinical performance is like reading a Shakespeare sonnet on the airplane - poetry in motion," said Carleton head coach Stephan Zweifel.
 
Fuller followed with his 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 4 singles to seal the team victory, and Yuv Kataria (So./Kolkata, India/Weil Academy & College Prep) followed with a win at No. 2 singles as he rallied from a set down to prevail 5-7, 6-1, 1-0 (10-3).
 
The No. 5 singles match also went to a super tiebreaker, but this time the Scots came out on top 7-5, 5-7, 1-0 (14-12).
 
While this was happening, Rojanasoonthon was locked in a tight tussle with Alon Liberman at No. 1 singles. The decision was made to play out the third set, and the result was a nearly three-hour battle. The Carleton first-year outlasted his veteran opponent by a score of 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3) to hand Liberman his first dual match loss of 2022.
 
"Tarm's singles match was a test of endurance for both him and the spectators," said Zweifel. "Fortunately, I planned ahead, and it gave me time to finish my tax returns."
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will face Augustana College (Ill.) at 10:30 a.m. ET on Monday, March 21.

Carleton College 7, College of Wooster 2
Singles competition
1. Tarm Rojanasoonthon (CAR) def. Alon Liberman (WOOM) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3)
2. Yuv Kataria (CAR) def. Alex Drewes (WOOM) 5-7, 6-1, 1-0 (10-3)
3. Xander Roti (CAR) def. Shivam Dewan (WOOM) 6-1, 6-4
4. Tate Fuller (CAR) def. Nebyou Minassie (WOOM) 6-3, 6-2
5. Patrick Johnson (WOOM) def. Noah Mueller (CAR) 7-5, 5-7, 1-0 (14-12)
6. Will Stepanski (CAR) def. Kevin Si (WOOM) 6-1, 6-1
 
Doubles competition
1. Alon Liberman/Austin Hanna (WOOM) def. Yuv Kataria/Aniketh Vipparla (CAR) 8-5
2. Tarm Rojanasoonthon/Tate Fuller (CAR) def. Alex Drewes/Nebyou Minassie (WOOM) 8-3
3. Aswath Viswanathan/Bence Kisgeczi (CAR) def. Shivam Dewan/Patrick Johnson (WOOM) 8-7 (7-2)