Men's Tennis Opens 2004-05 Campaign

Sept. 22, 2004

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. - The MIT men's tennis team began its 2004-05 season last weekend by hosting a dual match with Colby College and competing at the Harvard University Invitational. The Engineers (0-1) fell to the White Mules, 4-3, playing without their top three players.

Tech and Colby each won three singles matches, but the White Mules ended the day with a 2-1 advantage in doubles. Mark Egan and Kevin Durand had hard-fought wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 singles spots. Despite dropping the first set, 6-1, Egan came back to take the match, 6-4, 6-1. Durand easily won his first set, 6-1, but faltered in the second, 7-6 (7). He rebounded, bookending his match with another 6-1 victory. Jonathan Farm only needed two sets for his 7-6 (8), 6-1 win in the No. 6 position. The No. 1 doubles team of Mark Egan and Kevin Durand had the only win for MIT, defeating their opponents, 8-5. Brothers Eric and Melvin Makhni fell, 8-5, while Colin Klick and Krishna Pokala were defeated, 8-4.

Evan Tindell, Tom Dohlman, and Eric Beren represented the Engineers at the Harvard Invitational. Competing in the "A" Flight, Evan Tindell defeated Gideon Valkin (Harvard) in the first round, 7-6 (4), 6-4. Tindell fell in the second round to No. 4 seed Eric Thomas (Brown), 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4. Dohlman lost his first round match in the "B" Flight to Caleb Gardiner (Harvard), 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. In the consolation bracket, he defeated Bert Baggio (Rutgers), 6-2, 6-3, but dropped his next match against Scott Blumenkranz (Brown), 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Beren, also competing in the "B" Flight, fell to Saurabh Kohili (Brown), 6-2, 6-2. He then defeated Paul Roberts (Tufts), 6-7 (8), 6-0, (10-8) in the super tie-breaker in a first-round consolation match. Beren lost to Cameron Parker (Harvard) in the second round.

In doubles play, Tom Dohlman and Eric Beren combined to defeat Caleb Gardiner and Cameron Parker, 8-5. They then lost to nationally-ranked No. 30 Godberg/Shamasdin (Brown), 8-2.