Menlo News May 15, 2026

Tennis back-to-back CCS Champions!

Knights defeat Harker 5-2; NorCals up next for team

2026 CCS Champions

Coach Francis Sargeant talks with No. 1 Yuanye Ma during a changeover

Yuanye Ma stretches to reach a shot at No.1 singles.

Miles Burnett and Riley Huang celebrate after their victory at No.2 doubles in the CCS Championships

2026 CCS Champions

The Menlo School boys’ tennis team picked up three matches early then held off Harker’s doubles lineup for a 5-2 win to defend its CCS Championship on Friday at Bay Club-Courtside.

When senior Arki Temsamani and freshman Maximus Chan dealt the winner at No. 1 doubles, the Knights (25-0) had clinched 4-0.

At No. 3 singles, junior Lucas Huang was first off the court with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Yash Sachdeva. Then junior Surya De Datta claimed a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 2 Andrew Shin. Another junior David Lipeles sailed to a a 6-1, 6-0 win over Ayaan Pujori at No.4.

The Knights extended their team postseason to the regionals, and will play May 22-23 in Folsom.

It is the 19th CCS team title for the Knights, who won their 26th consecutive league title and 37th overall earlier this season.

Maximus Chan drives a forehand against Harker.Temsamani and Chan won the first set 6-0 then battled back 7-6 (7-5) over Yicheng Feng and Tanmany Konduri to seal the win. Sophomore Riley Huang and freshman Miles Burnett lost their first set before taking the second set and tiebreaker 3-6, 6-4,10-5 at No. 2 doubles.

“Every day, we’re working really hard; Coach Francis sets high standards, and we all want it,” Burnett added. “A lot of these matches are tight, win or your season’s over. I think we need to keep trusting our practice, trusting that we put in the work that we can come through in these type moments, and making sure we keep it up’

Knights senior Yuanye Ma fell at No. singles to Smyan Thuka 7-5, 6-2 and the freshman No.3 doubles team of Sage Ash and Alex Zhou won its first set against Eddie Zhang and Rithvik Narad before losing 4-6, 6-2, 10-6 at No. 3 doubles.

“The boys did a good job and got those matches done and got off the court and got loud for the rest of the boys,” Coach Francis Sargeant said. “We started off strong then let up a little bit. Yuanye competed really well at 1 and had some set points there and even the three doubles, the freshmen, they’ll do well and learn from it.

Our guys stepped up. We are already excited to get back to practice.”