After defeating the Coast Guard in its only dual match of the fall season, the men’s tennis team sought to close out the year with an impressive showing at the James Wallach Invitational this past weekend. The tournament featured competitors from seven northeastern schools, including host Bates College, Judges Head Coach Ben Lamanna’s alma mater.
Three of Brandeis’ eight men who took part in singles’ play advanced to the quarterfinals in their respective flights. Steven Milo ’13 won the opening match in his “B” bracket, besting Colby College junior Joe Albano in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. Despite falling in the next round, it was a respectable showing for Milo, who last year claimed the tournament’s “C” singles crown. The past champion was dethroned by a new one in Skidmore College’s Oliver Loutsenko ’14. After defeating Milo 6-2, 6-0, Loutsenko proved unbeatable, failing to drop a single game in semifinal and final round matches against opponents from Trinity College and Skidmore.
Rookie Brandon Frank ’14 won his first match 6-1, 6-3, before retiring to Skidmore’s Danny Knight ’14, the last man standing in the “D” flight, in the first set of the second round. Knight’s teammate Jimmy Sherpa ’14, who defeated Brandeis sophomore Josh Jordan in semifinal play, gave Skidmore wins in three of the tournament’s four brackets.
Jordan, Brandeis’ most successful singles player of the tournament, found himself in the final four after victories against Vassar College’s Josh Kessler ’13 (6-1, 6-3) and Trinity College’s McConnell (6-4, 6-3). He fell to Sherpa in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4.
Behind a first round bye and victories against teams from Colby and Skidmore, the veteran team of Simon Miller ’11 and Nick White ’11 advanced to the finals of its “A” doubles bracket. The second seeded pairing in its flight, Miller and White won their first two matches 8-4 and 9-7. The victories earned them a title match meeting with top seed Sherpa and partner Spencer Cheng ’11. Sherpa and Cheng claimed another victory for Skidmore, playing their way to an 8-4 victory in the final. Led by Loutsenko, Skidmore also was victorious in “B” doubles.
The doubles pairs of Milo/Ezra Bernstein ’11 and Frank/Jordan also competed for Brandeis. Though the matches were competitive, neither team was able to advance beyond the first round of competition.
The Judges return to action in late February, as they travel to California for a dual match against Pomona-Pitzer.
