by John Osborn ·
Friday, April 3, 2026
Senior Evan Burek holds his breath as he rushes the net for a drop shot in a first singles match against Marlborough. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The Bromfield boys tennis team won its season opener at home Monday, March 30, coming from behind to defeat Marlborough 3-2, the winning points coming from the lower half of the lineup in a match that stretched into the evening.
The match was played under partially clear skies at a comfortable 68 degrees, and on courts whose surroundings got a welcome upgrade this spring. The perimeter just beyond the court fence was cleared of brush and poison ivy, a perennial nuisance when players had to wade into the area to retrieve errant tennis balls. Overhanging branches were trimmed as well, leaving a clean 10-foot path around the courts.
Bromfield dropped both singles matches at the top of the order before seventh-grader Hakeem Tate got the team on the board with a 6-1, 7-5 win at third singles over Elijah Brunache. It was the first victory of the youngest varsity player on the squad.
The two Bromfield doubles teams then closed out the match, with first doubles partners Donovan Smith and Otavio Medina outlasting Darshan Navin Giriraj and Shubh Pagdahl of Marlborough in a match that lasted more than three hours and finished under the lights, 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-3. The second doubles team of Ari Samsi and Joe Lattouf, competing together for the first time in a varsity match, won 6-4, 6-4. The pair had fallen behind Shyan Patel and Cooper Castro of Marlborough 1-4 in the second set, but fought back to win the last five games to claim victory.
Captain Evan Burek fought through a lingering injury at first singles before falling to Sumair Singh 6-3, 6-3, and Michael Mao dropped a competitive three-set match at second singles to Duc-Tri Nguyen, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.
“It was a great team win spearheaded by the lower part of our lineup,” said coach Scott Hoffman, who is in his second year. “The team did a great job of persevering and never giving up.”
Bromfield was scheduled to host Nashoba on Wednesday, April 1, and Leominster on Thursday, April 2.
Seventh-grader Hakeem Tate concentrates on returning a forehand in his win over Marlborough’s Elijah Brunache. Tate won the match 6-1, 7-5.
March 30 Results
Bromfield 3, Marlborough 2
- First singles: Junior Sumair Singh (Marlborough) defeated senior Evan Burek (Bromfield) 6-3, 6-3
- Second singles: Junior Duc-Tri Nguyen (M) def. ninth-grader Michael Mao (B) 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
- Third singles: Seventh-grader Hakeem Tate (B) def. junior Elijah Brunache (M) 6-1, 7-5
- First doubles: Sophomore Donovan Smith and ninth-grader Otavio Medina (B) def. senior Darshan Navin Giriraj and senior Shubh Pagdahl (M)
- 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-3
- Second doubles: Sophomore Ari Samsi and ninth-grader Joe Lattouf (B) def. ninth-grader Shyan Patel and sophomore Cooper Castro (M) 6-4, 6-4