Box Score
Staten Island, NY - On a cloudy day at the College of Staten Island, Hunter and Baruch faced off for the fifth time in the last six years in the CUNYAC/Hospital for Special Surgery Men's Tennis Final. The Hawks ultimately came out on top, winning the championship for a second straight year by a score of 5-4.
"It feels great," said Saez-Garcia about winning the championship. "My college experience is over and I wanted so badly to go out with a win and this is definitely the ultimate goal that I wanted [to achieve] this year."
Hunter won the Championship in what was a close battle throughout. Their victory came only during the final singles matchup of the day. Hunter's Florimond Le Goupil-Maier took on Baruch's Samuel Hajibai in what became an epic back and forth affair as it morphed into something much more than just one player vs. the other. It became one team vs. the other as both of their teammates stood on court 4 and cheered them on after every point scored. Both players left everything on the court in the name of winning the championship. Ultimately, Le Goupil-Maier pulled out the victory in the third set as his teammates stormed him in jubilation.
The day started with doubles competition. Baruch's Hajibai and Dardan Sopjani teamed up to defeat Hunter's Filip Koritysskiy and Rudy St. Louis by a score of 8-0 on Court 3. The Baruch duo were dominant, resulting in a quick match that finished right before a rain delay. At the rain delay, the Hunter team of Gonzalo Saez-Garcia and Le Goupil-Maier led the Baruch team of Hugo Castalan and Leonard Margolis with a score of 2-4 on Court 1. Court 2 featured Baruch's Lewis Pena and David Alabo leading Hunter's Carlos Sala and David Joseph 3-1 at the delay. Once play resumed, Hunter's court 1 tandem finished the job amid Baruch's resistance, earning the win with a 8-5 score. On court 2, Hunter's team mounted a comeback to top Baruch with by a 8-5 score.
Hunter led the Finals 2-1 at the completion of doubles play.
Singles competition began after a short intermission. Each individual was looking to push their team to the title, with Hunter's Sala firing the opening shot on court 2. He would defeat Baruch's Pena in straight sets, taking the first one 6-0 and the second one 6-1. The win gave the Hawks a 3-1 advantage overall.
The second match to finish took place on court 6. Baruch's Sopjani answered Hunter's opening win by defeating the Hawks' St. Louis. This win also came in straight sets, both by a score of 6-2. The win inched the Bearcats closer, with the Hawks still leading 3-2.
Baruch would even the overall score at the end of the third completed match. On court 4, the Bearcats' Margolis defeated Hunter's Joseph. After a strong first set, in which he won 6-0, Margolis had to use more effort to win the second set. Joseph would score 3 points before ultimately dropping the set 6-3. With the win, the overall score was at a tie. Three matches were left to determine the winner.
The fourth match saw Baruch's string of success continue. For the third straight match, the Bearcats picked up the point to take an overall 4-3 lead. This time it was Baruch's Alabo who earned the victory, taking down Hunter's Koritysskiy on court 5. This was another victory in straight sets, this time by a score of 6-4, 6-1. After a competitive and close first set, Alabo outplayed Koritysskiy in the second set to win the match.
Hunter would not go down easy, though. The fifth match was a back and forth affair in the second set. On court 1, both team's best players went at it all match long. After a strong first set, in which the Hawks' Saez-Garcia won 6-3, Baruch's Castalan came back strong in the second set. He matched Saez-Garcia point for point. Down 5-4, he forced a tie at 5 with strong returns. But, Saez-Garcia would regain control, taking the next point and forcing set point. In that final match, Saez-Garcia played very well once again. He watched the ball sail over his head as Castalan overshot the court to end the match. The final score of the second set was 7-5. With that huge win, Hunter made it an overall tie once again, this time at a 4-4 score. Thus, the action on court 3 would determine the champion.
The action on court 3 did not disappoint. It was a long and hard fought battle to decide the champions. Hunter's Le Goupil-Maier faced off against Baruch's Hajibai with everything on the line and the match did not disappoint. It became a marathon, with Le Goupil landing the first blow by taking the first set 6-2. But, Hajibai answered in the second set with a very close victory by a score of 4-6. The final set saw Le Goupil-Maier take control early on. Hajibai was not gonna go down that easily. After Hajibai got the score to 5-4, Le Goupil rebounded to put the game away. He secured the third set, 6-4, and the championship for the Hunter Hawks.
"They're tough;" said Hunter head coach Eric Metzger. "They're a very tough opponent. We knew today was gonna be a battle and that they would be even tougher than they were in the regular season. So, it's great to get this win. I am lucky to have a great group of guys who work to repeat as back-to-back champions"
Saez-Garcia was named Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. He did not lose a match in the tournament, including the two wins in the final. It was the second straight year he has won the MVP award.
"It's the work behind every practice," explained Saez-Garcia about the MVP award. "My teammates and all the time that we spent together... it's definitely special winning this award."
~Release courtesy of CUNYAC Athletic Communications
