MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- In their first two matches in New England of the 2012 season, the Brandeis men's tennis team opened the Middlebury Invitational with a 6-3 win over University Athletic Association rival NYU before dropping an 8-1 decision to host Middlebury, the No. 7 team in the nation. The Judges were led by junior Steven Milo (Woodbury, N.Y./Syosset), who went 3-1 in singles and doubles action in the tournament.
The Judges (2-4) opened against NYU (0-1) by taking two out of three doubles matches. Milo and sophomore Josh Jordan (Northboro, Mass./Algonquin Regional) were 8-2 winners at No. 2, while rookies Michael Secular (Bronx, N.Y./Plant, Fla.) and Alec Siegel (Deerfield, Ill./Deerfield) claimed an 8-3 win at No. 3.
In singles action, Mileo breezed to a 6-1, 6-3, win over Connor Witty in the first spot, while Siegel's 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 4 pushed the Judges to the brink of victory. After NYU's James Dean topped Secular, 6-3, 6-3, at No. 6, the Judges clinched the match with a 7-5, 6-2, win at No. 5 by grad student Ezra Bernstein (Buffalo, N.Y./City Honors School). Junior Dave Yovanoff (Eden, N.Y./Eden) won Brandeis's longest victory, 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, at No. 3 singles, while Jordan dropped a marathon at No. 2 against the Violets' Steven Wu, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.
Against Middlebury (1-0), ranked third in New England and seventh nationally, Milo had Judges' only point, knocking off the Panthers' Alec Parower, who is ranked 11th in the region and 237th nationally in Division III. Milo won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Brandeis also had a couple of close calls, with Siegel going to a third set before falling, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, at No. 4 to Spencer Lunghino. Bernstein and Yovanoff nearly knocked off Middlebury's No. 1 doubles squad of Brantner Jones and Andrew Leibovitz before falling 8-6.
Brandeis 6, New York University 3
Mar 09, 2012 at Middlebury, Vt. (Middlebury College)
| Singles competition |
| 1. Steven Milo (BRMTEN) def. Connor Witty (NYU) 6-1, 6-3 |
| 2. Steven Wu (NYU) def. Josh Jordan (BRMTEN) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 |
| 3. Dave Yovanoff (BRMTEN) def. CJ Leong (NYU) 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 |
| 4. Alec Siegel (BRMTEN) def. Tim Wu (NYU) 6-2, 6-1 |
| 5. Ezra Bernstein (BRMTEN) def. Bowen Xu (NYU) 7-5, 6-2 |
| 6. James Dean (NYU) def. Michael Secular (BRMTEN) 6-3, 6-3 |
| Doubles competition |
| 1. Connor Witty/Steven Wu (NYU) def. Ezra Bernstein/David Yovanoff (BRMTEN) 8-6 |
| 2. Josh Jordan/Steven Milo (BRMTEN) def. William Smithline/Bowen Xu (NYU) 8-2 |
| 3. Michael Secular/Alec Siegel (BRMTEN) def. CJ Leong/Tim Wu (NYU) 8-3 |
| Match Notes |
| New York University 0-1 |
| Brandeis 2-3 |
| Middlebury Invitational |
#7 Middlebury 8, Brandeis 1
Mar 10, 2012 at Middlebury, Vt. (Middlebury College)
| Singles competition |
| 1. Steven Milo (BRMTEN) def. Alec Parower (MIDD) 6-2, 6-3 |
| 2. Derrick Angle (MIDD) def. Josh Jordan (BRMTEN) 6-0, 6-4 |
| 3. Brantner Jones (MIDD) def. David Yovanoff (BRMTEN) 6-1, 6-3 |
| 4. Spencer Lunghino (MIDD) def. Alec Siegel (BRMTEN) 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 |
| 5. David Farah (MIDD) def. Ezra Bernstein (BRMTEN) 6-1, 6-2 |
| 6. Andrew Lebovitz (MIDD) def. Michael Secular (BRMTEN) 6-2, 6-2 |
| Doubles competition |
| 1. Brantner Jones/Andrew Lebovitz (MIDD) def. Ezra Bernstein/David Yovanoff (BRMTEN) 8-6 |
| 2. Derrick Angle/Alec Parower (MIDD) def. Josh Jordan/Steven Milo (BRMTEN) 8-5 |
| 3. David Farah/Spencer Lunghino (MIDD) def. Michael Secular/Alec Siegel (BRMTEN) 8-0 |
| Match Notes |
| Brandeis 2-4 |
| Middlebury 1-0; National ranking #7; Regional ranking #3 |
| T-4:00 |