MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – In their first event of the 2025-26 season, the Brandeis University men's tennis team won a pair of titles at the Middlebury College Invitational over the weekend.

Leading the way was sophomore Danny Shemesh (Modiin, Israel/Ironi Hey Modiin), who captured the 'A' singles crown. Shemesh, seeded second in the tournament, won his first-round match over a foe from Skidmore, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2). In the second and third rounds, he met opponents from host Middlebury, winning, 6-4, 6-4, in the quarterfinals, and 6-3, 6-1, in the semifinals against the third seed. In the final match, Shemesh outlasted Tarun Korwar of Hamilton, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 17-15.

In the 'B' singles flight, the Judges had three of the four players in the semifinals, with junior Huasen Dong (Richmond Hill, Ont./Richmond Green Second School) coming out on top after winning all of his matches in three sets in come-from-behind fashion. Dong defeated his opponent from Hamiton, 4-6, 6-2, 10-8, in the opening round, then took out the fourth seed from Middlebury, 4-6, 6-4, 10-7, in the quarters. In the semis, he faced classmate and top seed Aidan Wang-Fan (Richmond Hill, Ont./Bill Crothers Secondary School), and emerged with a 3-6, 6-2, 14-12, victory. In the finals, it was first-year Oliver Lorenz (Albuquerque, N.M./Rafa Nadal Academy) who couldn't hang on against Dong, who won, 2-6, 6-4, 10-6. Lorenz reached the semis with a 6-4, 6-4 win over the second seed from Middlebury and defeated the lone Panther in the final four, 6-3, 6-3. After his first-round bye, Wang-Fan reached the semis with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 win over Skidmore in the quarters.

Sophomore Benjamin Kotzen (Austin, Texas/Austin Tennis Academy College Prep) received a bye into the quarters in the 'C' singles draw, winning his first round, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7), before falling in three sets to the eventual champ from Middlebury, 5-7, 6-3, 10-7.

In doubles action, the Judges had two semifinal teams in the 'A' bracket. Shemesh and junior Pierce Garbett (Coral Gables, Fla./Gulliver Prep) were the second seed and earned a bye into the quarters, where they won, 8-5, but fell to the bracket winners from Middlebury, 8-4, in the semis. Wang-Fan and Lorenz upset the fourth seeds from Skidmore in their first match, 8-7 (9-7), and knocked off a Middlebury duo, 8-7,(7-3) in the quarters, but fell, 8-6 in semis. Kotzen and first-year Muaz Malik (Dubai, UAE/Laurel Springs School) won a pair of matches in the 'B' draw, 8-1 over Bates and 8-2 over Hamilton, before falling, 8-7 (7-3) in the championship match.

Brandeis men's tennis will return to action on Oct. 3-5 at the ITA Regional championships co-hosted by MIT ant Tufts.