PROVIDENCE, RI - The University at Buffalo men's tennis team turned in a gutsy performance against Ivy League champion Brown on Saturday, falling to the Bears, 6-1 in Providence, RI. The loss evens UB's record at 5-5 for the 2002-03 season.

Randy Rocchio

The lone UB victory was recorded by sophomore Randy Rocchio (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East). Rocchio rallied from a set down, winning two tiebreakers, to defeat Brown's Kris Goddard at third singles. Rocchio dropped the opening set, 6-4. He then tied the match with a 7-6 win in the second set, taking the tiebreaker by a 12-10 count. Rocchio then closed out the match with another 7-6 victory in the third set with a 7-5 tiebreaker.

Two other singles matches also went three sets with the Bulls falling in both. Fourth singles player Nick Zieziula (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) dropped a three-set match to Richard Moss, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. At fifth singles, Rangga Prahudha (Jakarta, Indonesia/ESI International Academy) won the first set over Luke Tedaldi, 6-3, but dropped the next two sets, 6-4, 7-6, including a 10-5 decision in the tiebreaker.

First singles player Fery Kasiman (Jakarta, Indonesia/ESI International Academy) played through a hand injury, but dropped a 6-1, 6-1 decision to Jamie Cerretani. At number two, Josh Liederman (Queens Village, NY/Benjamin Cardozo) fell to Ben Brier, 6-2, 6-2. Sixth singles player Joe Popielarczyk (Buffalo, NY/McKinley) was defeated, 6-0, 6-1, by Phil Charm.

UB was also swept in the doubles with Zieziula and Rocchio falling to Adil Shamasdin and Nick Goldberg, 8-5 at number one. Liederman and Prahudha lost 8-3 at number two to Goddard and Zack Pasanen. Rohan Raikar (Albany, NY/Albany) and Popielarczyk also fell 8-3 to Tedaldi and Moss at number three.

The Bulls hit the road again for a match at Rochester scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 4 pm.