In an exciting championship match that featured Stanford men’s tennis teammates Axel Geller and Alexandre Rotsaert, the sophomore Geller came out on top to bring home the Sherwood Cup crown for the Cardinal for the second year in a row.
The two battled in the finals after advancing through the four-day tournament in Thousand Oaks, half-an-hour north of Los Angeles. The tournament also featured players from from top-flight programs in UCLA and Texas A&M, sitting at No. 2 and No. 5 respectively in the NCAA Division I team rankings. Stanford is currently No. 4, but may move up soon after sweeping its last two dual match opponents in the Saint Mary’s Gaels and Santa Clara Broncos earlier this month.
Geller, the tournament’s top seed, won four matches over the weekend after a first round bye. He came back from behind to defeat Rotsaert (2-6, 6-1, 6-3) in the finals. The two teamed up in doubles to win three matches and reach the cup finals, where they fell to the top-seeded duo from UCLA, Govind Nanda/Maxime Cressy (6-2).
Cardinal teammates also faced off in the singles finals last year. Tom Fawcett defeated Sameer Kumar in the title match; Kumar also fell in the finals alongside Michael Genender in doubles a year ago.
The Cardinal look to remain undefeated this week as they host the University of Central Florida Knights on Jan. 26 at 11 a.m. at Taube Tennis Stadium.
Monday, January 21
Singles Final Round
Axel Geller (STAN) d. Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
Sunday, January 20
Doubles Final Round
Cressy/Nanda (UCLA) d. Axel Geller/Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) 6-2
Doubles Semifinal Round
Axel Geller/Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) d. Smith/Schachter (TAMU) 6-2
Cressy/Nanda (UCLA) d. Sameer Kumar/Timothy Sah (STAN) 6-2
Saturday, January 19
Singles Semifinal Round
Axel Geller (STAN) d. Govind Nanda (UCLA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) d. Keegan Smith (UCLA) 6-3, 7-6 (7)
Singles Quarterfinal Round
Axel Geller (STAN) d. Connor Hance (UCLA) (W/O)
Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) d. Michael Genender (STAN) 6-3, 6-4
Govind Nanda (UCLA) d. Sangeet Sridhar (STAN) 6-3, 7-6(4)
Doubles Quarterfinal Round
Sameer Kumar/Timothy Sah (STAN) d. Aguilar/Vacherot (TAMU) 6-4
Cressy/Nanda (UCLA) d. Jack Barber/Michael Genender (STAN) 7-5
Axel Geller/Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) d. Sangeet Sridhar/William Genesen (STAN) 6-2
Doubles First Round
Axel Geller/Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) d. Lam/Marson (TAMU) 6-0
Sameer Kumar /Timothy Sah (STAN) d. Rapp/Goldberg (UCLA) 6-4
Jack Barber/Michael Genender (STAN) d. Pulliam/Vedri (TAMU) 7-6(7)
Sangeet Sridhar/William Genesen (STAN) d. Zahraj/Wild (UCLA) 6-2
Aguilar/Vacherot (TAMU) d. Tomas Kopczynski/Kento Perera (STAN) 7-6(4)
Friday, January 18
Singles Second Round
Axel Geller (STAN) d. Connor Rapp (UCLA) 6-2, 6-1
Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) d. Barney Smith (TAMU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Michael Genender (STAN) d. Mathew Tsolakyan (UCLA) 6-2, 6-4
Sangeet Sridhar (STAN) d. Eric Hahn (UCLA) 7-5, 6-0
Connor Hance (UCLA) d. Sameer Kumar (STAN) 6-3, 6-1
Keegan Smith (UCLA) d. Jack Barber (STAN) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Govind Nanda (UCLA) d. Timothy Sah (STAN) 7-5, 6-3
Singles First Round
Alexandre Rotsaert (STAN) d. Max Wild (UCLA) 6-0, 6-4
Michael Genender (STAN) d. Jack Pulliam (TAMU) 6-2, 6-4
Sameer Kumar (STAN) d. Austin Abbrat (TAMU) 6-3, 6-2
Timothy Sah (STAN) d. Bryce Pereira (UCLA) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
Sangeet Sridhar (STAN) d. Carlos Aguilar (TAMU) 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3
Jack Barber (STAN) d. Roscoe Bellamy (UCLA) 6-1, 6-4
Hady Habib (TAMU) d. Tomas Kopczynski (STAN) 6-2, 6-3
Guido Marson (TAMU) d. William Genesen (STAN) 0-6, 6-4, 6-3
Govind Nanda (UCLA) d. Kento Perera (STAN) 6-3, 6-0
Contact Shan Reddy at rsreddy ‘at’ stanford.edu