LATHAM, N.Y. – The LIU men's tennis team traveled to Siena College to take on the Saints on Saturday evening. In its first-ever dual match in program history, the Sharks took down Siena in a thrilling season-opener, with a final score of 4-3. 
 
During doubles, the Saints took the point to start the match up 1-0, taking wins in the Nos. 1 and 2 spots for the early lead.
 
LIU battled back in singles from the start. Freshman Alessandro D'Anna won in straight sets at No. 4 singles to tie the match up at 1-1. In response, the Saints rattled off two straight points from wins in the No. 6 and No. 5 spots from Davila and Matt Nardone. With the two wins, Siena had a 3-1 match lead, and needed just one more singles victory to take the match.
 
The Sharks rally began in the No. 3 singles spot, with a convincing victory from senior Sergio Fernandez Romera, 6-4, 6-4. At the No. 2 singles spot, freshman Danila Ishchanka erased a first set loss, 6-4, and beat Del Olmo in the second and third sets, 6-1, 6-0 to tie the match score, 3-3.
 
The match came down to No. 1 singles, where senior Ben Brandherm had gone down in the first set, 7-6(3). He rallied in the second to win 7-5 in the second, and would clinch the match with a 6-4 third set win. With the win in the top singles spot, Branherm clinched teh 4-3 match win for the Sharks, the first in program history. 
 
Up next, the Sharks hit the road and will travel to face NJIT on Sunday, January 30.
 
LIU 4, Sienna 3

Doubles 

1. Dante Russo/Tomas Del Olmo (SIEN) def. Danila Ishchanka/Ben Brandherm (LIU), 7-5
2. Agustin Suarez/Matt Nardone (SIEN) def. Philip Hilble/Akhilendran Indrabalan (LIU), 6-4.
3. Sergio Fernandez Romera/Guilherme De Medeiros (LIU) def. Jose Pablo Davila/Mathis Trembley (SIEN), 6-4.

Order of finish: 2, 1, 3*

Singles 

1. Brandherm (LIU) def. Russo (SIEN) 6-7, 7-5, 6-4
2. Ischanka (LIU) def. Del Olmo (SIEN), 4-6, 6-1, 6-0
3. Fernandez-Romera (LIU) def. Suarez (SIEN), 6-4, 6-4
4. D'Anna (LIU) def. Acri (SIEN), 6-4, 6-3
5. Davila (SIEN) def. Indrabalan (LIU), 6-4, 6-4
6. Nardone (SIEN) def. Hible (LIU), 6-4, 6-2

  Order of finish: 4, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1*