ITHACA, NY – The University of Rochester men's tennis team won its second straight 5-4 thriller, defeating host Ithaca College on Wednesday evening at Glazer Arena.
 
Junior Kei Ogawa again won the clinching point for Rochester (4-3), helping the Yellowjackets to their third straight overall win on the season. Ithaca falls to 4-5 with the loss.
 
Senior Kai Yuminaga and first-year Rahul Ravi were double-winners for the Yellowjackets, and started the match off with a strong 8-2 win at #1 doubles over Siddharth Vaada and Jimin Woo.
 
The host Bombers gained a 2-1 advantage though, swiping the points at #2 and #3 doubles. Nicolas Luis and Tyler Del Zoppo won 8-5 over Krish Vennam and Kavin Shukla, while Kenneth Lee and Ahaan Malhotra fell by the same score to Eric Dubilirer and Jacob Wachs.
 
In singles, Shukla rebounded from his doubles loss with a win for Rochester at #4, sweeping Woo 6-2, 6-4 to even the match.
 
Ithaca edged back in front thanks to a 6-0, 6-4 win from Del Zoppo over Lee at the six spot, but Yuminaga's straight set win at #2 over Dubilirer (6-4, 6-3) tied things back up at 3-3.
 
Ravi outlasted Vaada at #3 in three sets, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to put UR in front 4-3, and Ogawa sealed the victory with another three-setter, topping Carlos Hernandez at the five spot. Ogawa rallied after dropping the first 6-3, with back-to-back 6-2 wins for Rochester's fifth team point.
 
Luis closed out the final score with a three-set triumph over Vennam and the #1 spot in the lineup, winning 7-6, 3-6, 6-1.
 
Rochester returns to action this weekend at Brandeis on Saturday and at Babson on Sunday.