The men's tennis team was victorious in 28 of its 35 matches, including a 10-2 record in doubles play, at last weekend's Brown Invitational.
All 13 players who stepped on the court for Bruno over the course of the weekend notched victories in singles, doubles or both. Bruno's overall success was powered by impressive undefeated performances by Brandon Burke '14, Sam Fife '14, Lucas Da Silveira '16 and Ivan Kravtchenko '16.
The invitational featured team duals with Penn, Georgetown and Boston College. The "hidden duels," as the Bears call them, pit two teams against each other, differing from the individual bracket-style that have been featured in all of the team's tournaments so far this season. Conference matches in the spring will be played with the dual format.
Soufaine Azargui '14 said that being introduced to the tournament style of play this weekend was helpful to the Bears.
"It not only gives the freshmen a taste of what's to come, but it brings the team closer," Azargui said. The team competition mentality "brings up the energy and the camaraderie," Azargui added.
The first-years' "taste" of collegiate play has so far been a triumphant one. With a combined singles record of 12-1 in the last two tournaments, freshmen Da Silveira and Kravtchenko have made a big impact in the two months they've been on campus. Their early success is rooted in confidence, Da Silveira said.
After starting the season a little nervous, Da Silveira said he was able to settle in last week at the Penn Invitational. "I've adapted a lot the last two weeks," he said. "I'm feeling a lot more confident in my game and starting to get a feel for college tennis."
The men's team now has two weeks of practice to hone their skills before the ITA Regional Championships Oct. 18-22. The addition of new assistant coach Amit Inbar will aid in their preparations, Da Silveira said. Inbar, a former volunteer assistant coach at the University of California at Los Angeles, filled the position this week, which had been open since the beginning of the season.
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