The Boston University men’s tennis team continued its successful fall season Sunday with an appearance at the University of Connecticut Invitational in Storrs, Conn. The three-day invitational included players from UConn, Quinnipiac University, University of Hartford, Sacred Heart University, Merrimack College and Bryant University. At the conclusion of the tournament, BU boasted a total of nine finals appearances and five flight titles.
BU posted a 20-6 (.769) record in singles play with four athletes, including three freshmen, winning a title in their respective flights.
Freshman Mario Sandoval defeated Quinnipiac junior Sebastian Barbero 6-3, 7-6(3) in the No. 4 singles flight, then went on to beat Sacred Heart senior Kevin Budrawich 1-6, 7-5, 10-8 and Bryant junior Josh Rubinstein 6-4, 7-6(2) to capture the win.
In the No. 5 singles flight, freshman Jay Leelavanich won matches against Quinnipiac sophomore Luke Roser 6-0, 6-2, UConn freshman Parker Goldstein 6-3, 6-4 and Bryant sophomore Munir Serin 6-2, 6-3 to emerge victorious in his flight.
Junior Emilio Teran beat UConn sophomore Andrew Ginzberg 6-4, 6-3 and Quinnipiac sophomore Allain Grullon 6-3, 6-1 before defeating UConn sophomore Zac McEntee 6-3, 6-0 for the victory.
In the No. 7 spot, freshman Lucas Bombonatti defeated Sacred Heart junior Ryan Wennberg 6-0, 6-1 and Bryant freshman Cory DiPaola 6-3, 5-7, 10-4, then beat his teammate, freshman Jake De Vries, 6-3, 7-5 to win his flight. De Vries had beaten Hartford freshman Morgan White 6-1, 6-0 and Qunnipiac freshman Ryoma Haraguchi 6-4, 6-7, 10-7 before falling to Bombonatti in the final round.
Sophomore Stefan Lemire reached the final of the No. 3 singles flight, beating Hartford freshman Juan Molina 6-2, 6-2 and Sacred Heart sophomore Matt Dean 6-3, 6-1, but fell in the final round to Quinnipiac junior Eric Ambrosio 6-2, 6-0.
Seniors Chanon Varapongsittikul and Jesse Frieder won the consolation round in each of their singles flights and combined to win the No. 1 doubles flight, defeating pairs from Merrimack, Sacred Heart and UConn with a combined score of 24-15.
Sandoval and sophomore Brandon Phan also reached a doubles final, beating pairs from Quinnipiac and Bryant by identical scores of 8-4 before falling to a UConn duo by a score of 8-3.
DeVries and Leelavanich received a first round bye in the C doubles flight and beat a pair from UConn before falling to Quinnipiac in the final.
BU will next be in action as it travels to Smithfield, R.I. to take on Bryant.