LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The 32
nd-ranked Brandeis University men's tennis team wrapped up its February trip to California with a pair of wins over ranked opponents today. The Judges rallied to defeat #19 University of Redlands, 4-3, then took 5 of 6 singles matches in a 5-2 win over #40 Occidental College.
TEAM RECORDS
- Brandeis, 3-2, ranked #32 in Division III Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings
- Redlands, 2-1, ranked #19 in D3 by ITA
- Occidental, 2-3, ranked #40 in D3 by ITA
HOW IT HAPPENED vs REDLANDS
- Against Redlands, the Judges fell behind after doubles, dropping 1 and 3, with only juniors Pierce Garbett (Coral Gables, Fla./Gulliver Prep) and Aidan Wang-Fan (Richmond Hill, Ont. / Bill Crothers Secondary School) winning at #2, 7-6.
- After the Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead with a win at #2 singles, Brandeis battled back to win three in a row. Sophomore Daniel Shemesh (Modiin, Israel/Ironi Hey Modiin) got the Judges into the win column at #1, 7-6, 6-3.
- Wang-Fan followed with a 6-4, 7-6 win at #3 to tie the match up at 2-all.
- The final three matches all went the distance. Junior Huasen Dong (Richmond Hill, Ont. / Richmond Green Second School) gave Brandeis a 3-2 lead with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, win at #5. Redlands evened things up again with a three-setter at #4, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.
- The match came down to #6 singles, where first-year Oliver Lorenz (Phoenix, Ariz./Rafa Nadal Academy) rallied from losing the first set, 1-6, to take the second in a tiebreaker, 7-6. Lorenz broke twice in the first four games of the third to take a commanding 4-0 lead as he won it, 6-2, to clinch the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED vs OCCIDENTAL
- The match against Occidental got off to the same start, with the Judges dropping the doubles point, 2-1. Shemesh and Lorenz got Brandeis' doubles win, 6-3, at #1.
- In singles action, Garbett and Lorenz each turned in straight-set wins. Garbett got a 6-1, 6-4, win at #2, followed by Lorenz's 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) win at #6 to put Brandeis ahead, 2-1.
- Dong made it 3-1 with a 7-6, 6-0 win at #5, and Shemesh clinched the victory at #1, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
- First-year Muaz Malik (Dubai, UAE / Laurel Springs School) wrapped up the win at #4, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 10-7.
UP NEXT
- The Judges return to New England for their next match on March 1 at Bates College.