MINNEAPOLIS – The Carleton men's team posted a 9-0 victory over Macalester College on Saturday, securing the No. 2 seed in next week's MIAC Playoffs. Aswath Viswanathan (Jr./Lincolnshire, Ill./Adlai E. Stevenson) won in both singles and doubles for the 10^th time this season.
 
The Knights (14-5, 8-1 MIAC) and Scots (11-6, 7-2 MIAC) had both already secured spots in the postseason and the winner of this match would be the No. 2 seed and get to host the other school in the semifinals of the conference tournament on Friday.
 
Carleton swept doubles to seize control early and rod that momentum to the team victory.
 
Viswanathan and Tarm Rojanasoonthon (Fy./Bangkok, Thailand/Chulalongkorn) paired up for the first time since February but managed to win 8-6 at No. 1 doubles.
 
Yuv Kataria (So./Kolkata, India/Weil Academy & College Prep) and Aniketh Vipparla (So./Cary, N.C./Green Hope) glided to an 8-0 win at No. 2 doubles, while Bence Kisgeczi (Sr./Budapest, Hungary/Szent István) and Noah Mueller (Jr./Dubai, UAE/German International School Dubai) chipped in an 8-5 victory.
 
Rojanasoonthon, Kataria, Viswanathan, and Will Stepanski (Jr./Villa Park, Calif./Villa Park) each notched a straight-sets triumph in singles.
 
More dramatics were required from Kisgeczi and Xander Roti (Sr./Locust Valley, N.Y./Friends Academy) as both Knights prevailed in super tiebreakers.
 
Kisgeczi required a super tiebreaker for the second straight match and came out victorious once again, this time by a 6-4, 3-6, 14-12 tally. Meanwhile, Roti notched his fourth super tiebreaker of 2022 as he picked up a 6-2, 2-6, 10-8 victory.
 
"Xander and Bence were involved in extraordinary mental chess battles in singles," said Carleton head coach Stephan Zweifel. "However, I was not surprised that a Knight would eventually prevail."
 
Up Next for the Knghts
No. 2 seeded Carleton will host No. 3 seed Macalester for the MIAC Playoffs – Quarterfinals at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 6. The victor of that match advances to the finals the following day. Carleton and No. 1 seed Gustavus Adolphus are the only schools to make the MIAC Playoffs each season since it began in 2007.
 
#15 Carleton College 9, Macalester 0
Singles competition
1. #6 Tarm Rojanasoonthon (CAR) def. Alec Sargent (MAC) 6-4, 6-4
2. Yuv Kataria (CAR) def. Karsten Knutsen (MAC) 6-1, 6-2
3. Xander Roti (CAR) def. Jordan Doi (MAC) 6-2, 2-6, 10-8
4. Aswath Viswanathan (CAR) def. Matthew Sullivan (MAC) 6-4, 7-5
5. Bence Kisgeczi (CAR) def. Anton Korolev (MAC) 6-4, 3-6, 14-12
6. Will Stepanski (CAR) def. Alexander Poland (MAC) 6-3, 6-1
 
Doubles competition
1. Aswath Viswanathan/Tarm Rojanasoonthon (CAR) def. Alec Sargent/Matthew Sullivan (MAC) 8-6
2. Yuv Kataria/Aniketh Vipparla (CAR) def. Alexander Poland/Liam Lynch (MAC) 8-0
3. Bence Kisgeczi/Noah Mueller (CAR) def. Karsten Knutsen/Anton Korolev (MAC) 8-5