From Brandeis University Athletics
Competing at the New England Women's Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament (NEWITT), senior Roberta Bergstein and sophomore Sarita Biswas made it to the semifinal of their bracket, leading the women's tennis team to an impressive finish at its final tournament of the fall season.
In the NEWITT format, two pairs of athletes face off in doubles before breaking off to play singles matches. The tandem that wins at least two of those three matches advances to the next round.
In the opening round of the Chris Davis B Flight, Bergstein and Biswas (Brandeis' third team) convincingly swept Mount Holyoke first year Mira Murali and sophomore Michelle Cai, 3-0. The pair, won in doubles, 8-3, before Bergstein swept Murali 6-3, 6-2 and Biswas defeated Cai 6-1, 6-1.=
Bergstein and Biswas continued their run in the round of 16, eking out a 2-1 victory against Wheaton's third team. The duo won 8-5 in finals, but Bergstein lost to Sarah Crom 7-5, 6-2. Biswas earned the Judges the win with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Izzy Gorham. It was much of the same in the quarterfinals, as the duo took down Babson's second squad, 3-0. Bergstein and Biswas won 8-4 in doubles, then won their singles matches 6-2, 6-1 and 6-1, 6-4, respectively.
Biswas finished 7-1 on the weekend, including 4-0 in singles matches.
Teams that lost in the first round were entered into the consolation bracket, where several Brandeis sides excelled.
Brandeis' first team, composed of seniors Allyson Bernstein and Marissa Lazar fell to MIT 2 in the opening round of the Gail Smith A Flight, before storming through two consolation matches. The duo first defeated the top Wesleyan side, before knocking off Middlebury's second team. The Middlebury duo, consisting of sisters Katie and Dorrie Paradies, is one of the best in the region.
Brandeis' fourth team – sophomores Francesca DiOrio and Hannah Marion - lost in the first round of the B Draw, then defeated teams from both Mount Holyoke team and Babson in the consolation bracket.
Sophomore Emily Eska and senior Alexa Katz were Brandeis' second squad in the A Bracket, and dropped to Trinity's top side in the opener. Eska won her singles match in the consolation bracket, but the duo could not advance.
The women's tennis team is now off until a February trip to California.