Brown University
Merrimack
Men’s Tennis Earns Season-Opening 6-1 Win Over Merrimack
1/17/2026 3:00:00 PM | Men's Tennis
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Brown men's tennis team (1-0) earned a 6-1 win over Merrimack (0-1) to open its 2026 season.
The win is the first-career victory for head coach Mike Fried '91.
In doubles action, the pair of Ivan Sodan and Zander Bravo picked up a 6-4 win over Michael Schut and Strahinja Djukic. Noah Hernandez and Lukas Phimvongsa followed with a 6-2 victory against Tom Van Nooten and Björn Hedegaard-Friis, while Elliot Wasserman and Theo Murphy rounded out doubles play with a 6-3 win over Milan Zivkovic and Juan Carlos Portilla Morales.
On the singles courts, Sodan continued his strong Brown debut with a straight-set win over Djukic, 6-4, 6-2. Wasserman cruised past Schut, 6-0, 6-1, and Robert Yang defeated Portilla Morales, 6-1, 6-3.
Murphy added another point with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Hedegaard-Friis. Hernandez battled in a three-set match but fell to Van Nooten, 4-6, 6-3, 10-6, while Alex Koong earned a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Zivkovic.
Brown will continue non-conference action on Monday, Jan. 19 when they welcome Fordham to the Pizzitola Sports Center at 10 a.m.
RESULTS
Doubles
Ivan Sodan/Zander Bravo def. Michael Schut/Strahinja Djukic, (6-4)
Noah Hernandez/Lukas Phimvongsa def. Tom Van Nooten/Björn Hedegaard-Friis, (6-2)
Elliot Wasserman/Theo Murphy def. Milan Zivkovic/Juan Carlos Portilla Morales, (6-3)
Singles
Ivan Sodan def. Strahinja Djukic, (6-4, 6-2)
Tom Van Nooten def. Noah Hernandez, (4-6, 6-3, 6-10)
Elliot Wasserman def. Michael Schut, (6-0, 6-1)
Robert Yang def. Juan Carlos Portilla Morales, (6-1, 6-3)
Theo Murphy def. Björn Hedegaard-Friis, (6-3, 6-4)
Alex Koong def. Milan Zivkovic, (6-1, 6-1)
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