WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – For the first time since 2019, the Bowdoin College men's tennis team will return to the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals. The Polar Bears sealed the trip with a dramatic, comeback, 5-4 win at Williams on Sunday afternoon. With the victory, Bowdoin (17-4) advances to the quarterfinals next weekend at the USTA National Tennis Center in Orlando, against another familiar foe – Middlebury. Williams (15-5) ends its season with its second loss to the Polar Bears in as many weekends.
 
Match Highlights

• The day had an inauspicious start for the Polar Bears, as Williams claimed two quick points with wins at number two and three doubles.
• Bowdoin's top doubles pairing Tristan Bradley and Reid Staples forced a tiebreaker and, with the Polar Bears facing a daunting 3-0 deficit, battled for a 7-3 win in the tiebreaker and an 8-7 victory, cutting the Ephs lead to 2-1 heading into singles play.
• The Polar Bears got what they needed in singles play: quick straight-set wins from Evan Fortier (6-3, 6-4), Pieter Breuker (6-3, 6-3), and Mark Kneiss (6-0, 7-6).
• Williams rallied to even the score with wins at number two and number five, leaving just one match on the court: number one singles.
• After losing the opening set to Williams' Matt Kandel, Tristan Bradley rebounded to take the second set. Down 5-4 in the third set, the NESCAC Player of the Year served to even the score at 5-5, broke Kandel for 6-5, and sealed the victory by holding serve and sending Bowdoin to Orlando with a final score of 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.

Up Next

• Bowdoin will face Middlebury in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Saturday, May 13, with time TBA. The teams split their two meetings earlier this season, including the NESCAC title match won by Middlebury last weekend.
• This will be Bowdoin's seventh NCAA Quarterfinal appearance, their sixth under head coach Conor Smith, and first since 2019.