Tennis Loses Heartbreaker to Brandeis, 5-4

WALTHAM, MASS. – The Wellesley College tennis team dropped a 5-4 heartbreaket to #30 Brandeis University this evening on Brandeis' Gosman indoor tennis courts.  With the win the Judges improve to 10-6 on the season, while the loss drops the Blue to 15-6.

The Judges took a 2-1 lead coming out of doubles competition.  Rachel Rosman and Faith Broderick defeated their Wellesley opponents Jacqueline Shen and Marie Watanabe, 8-6, in the first position.  Mackenzie Gallegos and junior Nina Levine topped Nathalie Herman and Diana Granger, 9-7 in the second spot.  The Blue picked up a win in the third position, where Kendall Tada and Erica Choo won 8-6 over rookies Alexa Katz and Roberta Bergstein.

Wellesley got off to a fast start in singles action, defeating Brandeis in the first two spots.  Watanabe took a 6-2, 6-2 decision over Rosman, while Shen went 6-3, 6-4 over Broderick.  Gallegos defeated Choo in the third position, 6-3, 6-1 to knot the match at 3-3. 

Levine finished 6-4, 6-3 over Tada in the sixth spot to give Brandeis a 4-3 lead with two matches remaining.  Granger defeated Bergstein in the fifth position, 6-1, 2-6, 6-0, to put the pressure on the fourth seed match.

The Judges clinched the win when rookie Allyson Bernstein overtook Herman.  After dropping the first set, 1-6, Bernstein came back, going 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 to give her squad a 5-4 decision.

Brandeis is in action again on April 20 when they host the MIT Engineers. The Blue next play on April 16 when they battle Tufts University.