WALTHAM, Mass. – Despite a strong singles effort that nearly allowed the Warriors to rally to victory, the Merrimack College men's tennis team dropped a 4-3 decision to Brandeis University on Tuesday afternoon at the Cordish Tennis Center in Waltham, Mass.
The trio of junior
Jonathan Garcia, freshman
Aryaan Bhatia and sophomore
Pedro de Godoy Mancini won singles flights to help turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead; de Godoy Mancini prevailed in one of a trio of three-set singles matches. The host Judges won the final two matches of the day, however, to claim the four points necessary for the win.
The Basics
Score: Brandeis 4,
Merrimack 3
Records: Merrimack (3-8) | Brandeis (3-1)
Location: Waltham, Mass. | Cordish Tennis Center
Rapid Recap
- Merrimack improved on its previous effort against Brandeis, which saw the Judges win by a 6-1 margin earlier this spring. The hosts won the doubles point on Tuesday to take a 1-0 lead in the match. The closest of the flights was No. 1, where the first-year pairing of Jan Semerak and Bhatia brought their contest to a tiebreak after each duo won six games apiece. Brandeis won the breaker, 7-2, to win the match
- In singles, Garcia dominated at the third flight to tie the match at 1-1. He did not drop a game in his opener, 6-0, before ending his match in a sweep with a 6-1 triumph in the second set. After Brandeis grabbed fourth singles, Bhatia ended his contest in two sets at No. 2, 6-3 and 6-1, to bring the score back even at 2-2
- The Warriors' first lead came after a thrilling victory at fifth singles. Mancini won his first set, 6-2, before falling in the second frame to bring on a deciding third set. The second-year Warrior dominated the final set, 6-2, to collect the win in three
- Junior Conrad Koch played at sixth singles for Merrimack where he won his first set before dropping the next two. The last match playing was at No. 1, where Semerak won his opener in a tiebreak 7-6 (5). His opposition won the second and third sets, however, to claim the 4-3 win
Notes
- Bhatia finished the year with a 5-3 singles record
- Garcia nabbed his fifth singles win as well, all of which came in straight sets
- De Godoy Mancini won his second three-set match of the spring
