Arguello clinches 5-4 win for #29 MTennis over MIT

Michael Arguello '17 (photo by Sportspix/Jan Volk)
Michael Arguello '17 (photo by Sportspix/Jan Volk)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The #29-ranked Brandeis men's tennis team earned a 5-4 victory over local rival MIT on Wednesday afternoon thanks to a come-from-behind win at No. 2 singles by sophomore Michael Arguello (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood).

The Judges (7-8) trailed 2-1 after doubles action. After a quick 8-0 win at No. 3 by Brandeis seniors Alec Siegel (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) and Michael Secular (Bronx, N.Y./Plant, Fla.), MIT won at No. 1 and 2, 8-5 and 8-6, respectively.

Brandeis got off to another quick start in singles action, winning the first three matches to finish. Rookie Eric Miller () rolled, dropping just one game at No. 6, 6-1, 6-0. Sophomore Jeff Cherkin (Melville, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills East) put Brandeis ahead at No. 5, 6-1, 6-3, while junior Danny Lubarsky (Cleveland, Ohio/Hawken School) pushed the visitors within one point of victory at No. 3, 6-4, 7-5.

MIT (10-4) rallied to tie the match with wins at No. 4, 7-5, 6-2, and No. 1, where Kevin Wang rallied from a set down to defeat Brandeis's Brian Granoff (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep), 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. 

That set up the final three-set match at No. 2. Engineer Eugene Oh opened with a 6-3 win in the first set, but Arguello bounced back and took the next two sets, 6-4, 6-4, to earn the victory. 

Brandeis returns to action on Saturday at 2 p.m. with their Senior Day match against NYU, a key match for seeding headed into the UAA tournament.