NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College men's tennis team returned from a 111-day break from competition by going 2-1 over the weekend. The Knights lost 6-1 to Morningside University on Saturday before bouncing back with sweeps of Lawrence University and Saint Mary's University by 7-0 and 9-0 tallies, respectively, on Sunday afternoon.
 
Akshay Garapati and Jasper Yang paced Carleton (5-1, 3-0 MIAC) with four victories over the weekend, two each in singles and doubles.  Ezra Bernhard, Baiyun Jing, Miles Lee, Zach Leslie, Aiden Patel, and Jack Rivkin collected three wins apiece.
 
Morningside 6, Carleton 1
The Knights played the Mustangs (5-0) — who bested No. 16 Gustavus Adolphus College, 4-3, earlier in the day — closer than the final tally suggests. Two of Morningside's victories came in tiebreakers.
 
Rivkin and Garapati won atop the doubles lineup, but Morningside claimed the doubles point by winning at the second and third slots.
 
Yang battled back from a set down to win at No. 2 singles by a 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8) score. Jing sent his match at No. 1 singles the distance before falling 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7) to NAIA All-American Mark Tenkle. Bernhard pushed the first set at No. 4 singles to the limit before dropping a 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 result.
 
The Mustangs captured the other three singles matches in straight sets.
 
Carleton 7, Lawrence University 0
The Knights got back in the win column with a 7-0 triumph over Lawrence University (1-2). Carleton swept doubles for the first point as Rivkin and Garapati prevailed 6-2 at No. 1 doubles, Leslie and Jing blanked their opponents at No. 2 doubles, and Yang and Bernhard added a 6-2 triumph.
 
Rookies Patel, Bernhard, and Garapati swept their foes at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 singles, respectively. Fellow first-years Andrew Sretavan and Lee also added wins, the former by a 6-2, 6-0 tally and the latter by a 6-2, 6-1 margin. Yang notched his second singles victory over the weekend, defeating Andrew Larson 6-2, 6-3 at No. 1 singles.
 
Carleton 9, Saint Mary's University 0
The Knights capped the busy two days with a convincing sweep of the Cardinals (2-3).
 
Jing and Leslie notched an 8-1 win at No. 1 doubles, while Patel and Bernhard did the same at the second slot. Yang and Lee added an 8-0 win at No. 3 doubles.
 
The Knights won all six singles matches in straight sets. Jing cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 triumph atop the lineup. Patel and Leslie found their rhythms at the second and third slots and secured 6-3, 6-1 and 6-3, 6-0 victories, respectively. Rivkin, Garapati, and Lee dropped only three combined games during the other three singles matches.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton faces Central College (Iowa) in a neutral site match on Saturday, Feb. 1 in Owatonna, Minn.
 
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Morningside 6, Carleton 1
Singles competition
1. Mark Tenkle (MORN) def. Baiyun Jing (CAR) 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7)
2. Jasper Yang (CAR) def. M. Menedez Hervella (MORN) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8)
3. Alexis Diaz (MORN) def. Aiden Patel (CAR) 6-4, 6-4
4. Santiago Minetti (MORN) def. Ezra Bernhard (CAR) 7-6 (7-3), 6-1
5. Mathys Arnold (MORN) def. Zach Leslie (CAR) 6-1, 6-2
6. Jesse Gerth (MORN) def. Jack Rivkin (CAR) 6-3, 6-4
 
 Doubles competition
1. Jack Rivkin/Akshay Garapati (CAR) def. Santiago Minetti/Mark Tenkle (MORN) 6-4
2. Alexis Diaz/M. Menedez Hervella (MORN) def. Zach Leslie/Baiyun Jing (CAR) 6-2
3. Mathys Arnold/Jesse Gerth (MORN) def. Aiden Patel/Ezra Bernhard (CAR) 6-2
 
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Carleton 7, Lawrence University 0
Singles competition
1. Jasper Yang (CAR) def. Andrew Larson (LU) 6-2, 6-3
2. Aiden Patel (CAR) def. Dylan Delgado (LU) 6-0, 6-0
3. Ezra Bernhard (CAR) def. Benjamin Hoppe (LU) 6-0, 6-0
4. Akshay Garapati (CAR) def. Owen Horton (LU) 6-0, 6-0
5. Andrew Sretavan (CAR) def. Gabriel Garcia (LU) 6-2, 6-0
6. Miles Lee (CAR) def. Cole Witucki (LU) 6-2, 6-1
 
 Doubles competition
1. Jack Rivkin/Akshay Garapati (CAR) def. Andrew Larson/Dylan Delgado (LU) 6-2
2. Zach Leslie/Baiyun Jing (CAR) def. Gabriel Garcia/Benjamin Hoppe (LU) 6-0
3. Jasper Yang/Ezra Bernhard (CAR) def. Owen Horton/Cole Witucki (LU) 6-2
 
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Carleton 9, Saint Mary's University 0
 Singles competition
1. Baiyun Jing (CAR) def. Caden Rodning (SMU) 6-0, 6-1
2. Aiden Patel (CAR) def. Gavin Pratt (SMU) 6-3, 6-1
3. Zach Leslie (CAR) def. Tucker Stene (SMU) 6-3, 6-0
4. Jack Rivkin (CAR) def. Zak Farley (SMU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Akshay Garapati (CAR) def. Owen Fonder (SMU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Miles Lee (CAR) def. Thomas Skemp (SMU) 6-0, 6-0
 
 Doubles competition
1. Baiyun Jing/Zach Leslie (CAR) def. Caden Rodning/Gavin Pratt (SMU) 8-1
2. Aiden Patel/Ezra Bernhard (CAR) def. Tucker Stene/Zak Farley (SMU) 8-1
3. Jasper Yang/Miles Lee (CAR) def. Owen Fonder/Thomas Skemp (SMU) 8-0