Josh Rifkin Drops Three-Set Final at ITAs; Sets School Record In Singles Wins
Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Ithaca men's tennis senior Josh Rifkin (Homestead/Ft. Wayne, Ind.) advanced to the finals of the singles bracket at the USTA/ITA Northeast Regionals this weekend at Skidmore. Rifkin was seeded third in singles play, and fell one win short of returning to the USTA/ITA Small College Championships, where he participated in the doubles championship last year.
Rifkin won his semifinal match against Oliver Loutsenko of Skidmore 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. Rifkin rallied back for a convincing win in three sets and set up a match with Andrew Guzick of Vassar in the finals. Guzick finished last season ranked 20th among singles players in the Northeast Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and Rifkin was ranked 23rd.
Guzick earned a late break in the first set to win by a 6-4 score, in a set that featured five breaks of serve between the two players. Rifkin came back to win the second set 6-4, getting an early break and holding serve over the remainder of the set. The third set remained on serve through the first seven service games, but Guzick broke Rifkin in the eighth to take a 5-3 advantage. Guzick served out the match, but not before Rifkin denied four championship points in falling 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
Rifkin finished the fall portion of the season with an 11-3 singles record and moved atop the all-time wins list in singles for Ithaca men's tennis. He surpassed 2010 graduate and former doubles partner Taylor Borda with his semifinal victory Monday morning. Rifkin also went 12-2 in doubles play, and stands two behind Borda in that career wins category (79-77), and just one behind Borda in overall victories (146-145).
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