Box Score Chattanooga, Tenn. - A final send off for the history books. Two of the best to ever do it in the Denison men's tennis program capped off their careers with one of the biggest accomplishments they could achieve: a national championship. From winning the team national championship last season as juniors, the duo have done it again once more, finalizing an incredible run that featured five tiebreaker points throughout their long matches to conclude not only an amazing season, but an incredible career.

Singles

Green fell in his opening round match to Gage Gohl of Gustavas Adolphus by a score of 6-4, 6-4. Green battled relentlessly but could not overcome Gohl in the Round of 32, ending his season in singles play. The senior finishes his Denison career as one of the most decorated players in program history, finishing the season in singles with a 21-8 record and 93 wins in his career. He finishes ranked top-10 in program history in career singles wins and a .744 career winning percentage.

Shah defeated Kiran Garapati of Bowdoin in his first match 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the Round of 16. He used a balanced attack in the second set to win three unanswered sets to propel him to the big win. He then defeated Drew Goldman of Pomona-Pitzer to reach the quarterfinals for the third consecutive season, 4-6, 6-2 2-0 (ret.). In the process, he was named an All-American in singles for the fifth time in his career, and ninth overall between doubles. 

In the quarterfinals, Shah would meet a familiar foe in Michael Melnikov of Swarthmore, in which Shah would win the first set 6-4, but would ultimately lose in three sets, with Melnikov taking the last two 6-2, 6-4. Shah ends his singles career as one of the best in Big Red history, holding the most career singles wins with 109, tied his record for most singles wins in a season with 33, and is top-five in program history in singles winning percentage (.807). This season, he finished with an overall record of 33-6, tying his record for a third consecutive season for most wins in a single season.
 

Doubles

The duo of Green and Shah started off their doubles run in thrilling fashion, defeating Utham Koduri and Michael Melnikov of Swarthmore in three sets, all by tiebreaker. Both squads would go back-and-forth in the first set, with Green and Shah winning the tiebreaker 7-2 to take the first set. The Garnet pair would strike back, winning the tiebreaker in the second set 7-1 to set up a monumental third set. Going back-and-forth once again, it came down to a third tiebreaker to decide who moved onto the quarterfinal round. Green and Shah went up 3-1 in the tiebreaker, but Koduri and Melnikov fought back to even up a three all. The Denison duo stretched it back out to a two point lead, 5-3, and would continue their momentum the rest of the way through, winning 7-5 and winning the match to advance to the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinals, the pair went back to work in another gritty match, with two of the sets being determined by tiebreakers. The first set was won by Green and Shah in a thrilling 7-6 (8-6) victory to set the tone for the rest of the match. Abaeca Marlon and Petcov Vitomir of Redlands would have the upper hand in set two, winning 7-6 (7-5) to knot the match up 1-1 going into the final frame. The final set saw the Big Red pair dominate, winning the first four games before ultimately taking the final set 6-2 and advancing to the semifinals. Both players earned All-American honors, as both earned their fourth doubles honors in their careers.

Green and Shah took care of business in the semifinals, winning in straight sets against Ruilin Feng and Ajay Kartik of Emory 6-3, 6-3 to move onto the finals for the first time in their careers, and play in their final match in Denison red.
 

Their finals opponent was a familiar foe in Gage Gohl and Tyler Haddorff of Gustavus Adolphus, whom they had played earlier in the season, but lost to in the doubles national semifinal in 2024, adding another layer heading into the championship match. Green and Shah pounced on their opposition early, going up 3-1 early before cruising to a 6-2 victory to take set one. The Gusties fought back in the second set, but the Big Red stayed the course and found themselves up 5-4 entering the end. Up 40-0 and needing one point, the duo delivered, with Shah sending the final shot over the net, and both jumped into each other in celebration, as they were crowned national champions to close out their Denison careers in emphatic fashion.

Green caps off his Big Red career with the most doubles wins (114) and combined wins (207), while also ranking in the top-10 in highest doubles winning percentage (.791). Shah wraps up his doubles career second in all-time doubles wins with 89 and combined wins with 198, and finishes top-five in doubles winning percentage (.780). The duo went 24-6 this season overall, going 14-5 in the No. 1 spot in dual matches.

Results

Doubles

R16

Kael Shah/Ethan Green (DENM) def. Utham Koduri/Michael Melnikov (SWATM) 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (7-1), 7-6 (7-5)

QF

Kael Shah/Ethan Green (DENM) def. Marlon Abarca/Vitomir Petcov (REDM) 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (7-5), 6-2

SF

Kael Shah/Ethan Green (DENM) def. Ruilin Feng/Ajay Kartik (EMRM) 6-3, 6-3

F

Kael Shah/Ethan Green (DENM) def. Gage Gohl/Tyler Haddorff (GACM) 6-2, 6-4

Singles

Kael Shah

R32

Kael Shah (DENM) def. Kiran Garapati (BOWM) 6-3, 6-3

R16

Kael Shah (DENM) def. Drew Goldman (PPM) 4-6, 6-2, 2-0 (ret.)

QF

Michael Melnikov (SWATM) def. Kael Shah (DENM) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4

Ethan Green

R32

Gage Gohl (GACM) def. Kael Shah (DENM) 6-4, 6-4