Five Bulldogs Post Singles Victories; N. Brown and D. Wang Clinch Doubles Point in Tiebreak as Yale Tops Stony Brook 6-1 

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale men's tennis team opened its home Invitational in style on Saturday, extending its winning streak to four matches with a convincing 6-1 victory over Stony Brook. Even with top players Martin Svenning and Ziqi Wang sitting out to get some rest, the Elis excelled across the board and claimed six of eight total matches; perhaps more than anything, Saturday's success showcased the quality depth that Yale has at its disposal. On a day when the entire team performed well, two particular players shone the brightest: freshmen Nathan Brown and Dennis Wang, who secured a clutch doubles victory together while also winning their individual singles matches.

Saturday's match began with a competitive round of doubles. Sophomore pairing Fedor Andrienko and Stefan Doehler finished first with a tone-setting win at No. 1 doubles, downing Stony Brook's Jose Morales and Samuel Taieb 6-1; this dominant performance reminded many in the home crowd of the duo's remarkable form last season, in which the two earned All-Ivy recognition and became highly ranked nationally. After Stony Brook responded at No. 2 doubles with a 6-4 win, however, the ever-important doubles point came down to the freshmen Brown and Wang. With neither team able to seize on opportunities for a crucial service break, the third and deciding match went to a tiebreak; ultimately, the Yale duo prevailed under pressure to give the Elis an early one point lead.

Following his clutch performance in doubles, Nathan Brown kicked off the singles round with an impressive 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 6 singles; Doehler also excelled in the No. 5 spot against Stony Brook's Rodrigo Ristow Hadlich, notching a 6-1, 6-3 victory. Fedor Andrienko also did well to step into the No. 2 singles position and beat Stony Brook's Taieb by a score of 6-4, 6-1. Andrienko has developed into a tenacious singles player this season, and this result marked the sophomore's seventh straight singles victory. With a significant match lead, the Bulldogs then relaxed and were able to play some of their best tennis. After battling through tiebreaks in their respective first sets, both Photos Photiades and Dennis Wang submitted much better second set performances to finish their matches in convincing fashion.

With Saturday's victory, the Elis improved their record on the season to 8-4 and have positioned themselves well for the Ivy League season, which begins early next month. The impressive development of the squad's freshmen players also bodes well for the long-term future of the team. It should be noted that in addition to their match against Stony Brook, the Bulldogs also played the singles round of their match against Marist on Saturday afternoon. Although the match will officially conclude tomorrow with a round of doubles, Yale has already earned a decisive 6-2 lead; the full recap of that match, along with the results of Yale's match against Fairfield, will be posted tomorrow.