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Men's Tennis Huddle Middlebury assistant coach Tristan Kaye during a match against Hope International University at Bizantz Family Tennis Center on the Claremont McKenna College campus Sunday, March 17, 2024 in Claremont, California. (Photo/Josh Barber)
Photo/Josh Barber
The team huddles up after a match this spring.
5
Winner Bowdoin BOWM (17-6)
4
Middlebury MIDDM (17-3)
Winner
Bowdoin BOWM
(17-6)
5
Final
4
Middlebury MIDDM
(17-3)

Match Recap: Men's Tennis |

#5 Men’s Tennis Edged 5-4 By #6 Bowdoin In NESCAC Semifinals

The #5/top-seeded Middlebury men's tennis team came up just short against #6/fifth-seeded Bowdoin, falling 5-4 in NESCAC Semifinal action on Saturday. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS
  • The Polar Bears grabbed the initial point of the day as tandem Ethan Bradley and Jackson Codd earned an 8-3 win in the second spot. 
  • Middlebury duo Aidan Harris and Julian Wu jumped out to a 3-1 edge and never looked back en route to an 8-4 win at #3.
  • In the top spot, Neel Epstein and Robby Ward trailed 6-4 and mounted a comeback against Bowdoin's Tristan Bradley and Reid Staples. The Middlebury pair knotted the match at six wins apiece, but Bradley and Staples were able to hang on for the 8-6 narrow triumph to give the Polar Bears a 2-1 edge after doubles play.
  • Wu knotted the match at 2-2 with a straight-set sweep in the second singles slot. The Panther blanked his opponent 6-0 in the first set, before easing to a 6-2 triumph.
  • Harris topped E. Bradley 6-4 in the opening set at #5. The second set went to a tiebreaker where Harris outlasted his opponent 7-4 to put Middlebury up 3-2.
  • In the sixth slot, Noah Lewis dropped the opening set, but bounced back to claim two straight (6-1, 6-4), giving the Panthers a 4-2 lead.
  • At the top of the lineup, Noah Laber fell 6-4 in the opening set, but battled all the way back to take the second by a tiebreaker score of 7-5. T. Bradley would not back down, claiming the third set 6-3 to cut the deficit to one (4-3).
  • Bowdoin knotted the contest at 4-4 with a tight victory at #3. Pieter Breuker edged Ward 7-5 to open the battle, before Ward topped Breuker 6-4 to force a third set. Breuker was able to take the third by a 6-3 score, leaving the match to the final singles match at #4.
  • Epstein was edged by Mark Kneiss 7-5 to open play, but the Panther took the second set by a 7-5 tiebreaker win. The third set was tied four different times, but Kneiss was able to claim the final two games to earn a 7-5 triumph and clinch the match 5-4 for Bowdoin.
NOTES
  • This marked Middlebury's 22nd appearance in the NESCAC Tournament, having advanced to the semifinals 21 times.
  • Today's match was the 54th meeting between the Panthers and the Polar Bears. Over the last five meetings, the teams have played to 5-4 decisions on four occasions. 
  • Harris' victory in singles action was his seventh straight.
  • Playing at #3 doubles for seven matches this season, Harris and Wu remain unbeaten at 7-0. 
Middlebury awaits its fate in the NCAA Tournament when at-large bids are announced on Monday, May 6 at 12:30 p.m. 
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