Release courtesy of Swarthmore Athletic Communications

ORLANDO, Fla. - The Swarthmore College men's tennis doubles squad of Michael Melnikov and Utham Koduri fell to Case Western Reserve (6-1, 7-5, 5-6 (5)) in the finals of the NCAA Individual Championship on Sunday afternoon. The first-year doubles duo had their historic run come to an end after winning their first three games of the tournament.

The duo became the second doubles pair in Centennial history to finish as the national runners-up, joining Washington College's Robin Sander and Damian Polla (1994) in that elite club. 

Melnikov and Koduri made Swarthmore proud as they battled the entire way against the top-seeded team of Vishwa Aduru and James Hopper from the national champion Case Western Reserve. Swarthmore showed incredible resilience as they battled to a third set tiebreaker after suffering a 6-1 defeat in the opening set.

After a challenging first set, the Garnet claimed the first game of the second set to gain some positive momentum. The Swarthmore duo then put together consecutive wins to take a 4-2 lead over the Spartans. With the game tied at five, the Garnet closed out the set with back-to-back wins to force a third set.

The Garnet fell behind early in the third set as Case Western Reserve jumped out to a 3-1 lead. With their backs against the wall, Melnikov and Koduri kept fighting as they rallied for three-straight games to eventually take a 5-4 lead. With the set knotted at five, Swarthmore captured their sixth game to put themselves in the driver's seat, but were unable to close out the Spartans as they forced a tiebreaker. 

Swarthmore took an early 4-2 lead in the tiebreaker, but surrendered three-straight points to put Case Western Reserve in front. The Garnet took the next point to tie the game at five before the Spartans ended the set with back-to-back points to clinch a match victory.