Men's tennis falls 4-3 to Buffalo in first loss of season

Despite sweeping the doubles matches and moving to a 3-0 lead, the Bears fell to Buffalo in a tough 3-4 loss.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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On Sunday morning, the men's tennis team (6-1) came short 4-3 in a home matchup against the University at Buffalo (4-3). Tied 3-3, the deciding singles match saw the Bulls' Theodoros Mitsakos edge past Lukas Phimvongsa '28 in an intense 7-6 (4), 6-4 battle to give Buffalo the victory.

Why it matters

This loss marks the first defeat of the season for the Brown men's tennis team, who had previously been undefeated. The close match against a tough Buffalo squad highlights the competitive nature of college tennis and the Bears' ability to push top opponents.

The details

Despite sweeping the doubles matches and taking a 3-0 lead, the Bears were unable to hold on as Buffalo rallied back to win the final four singles matches and clinch the 4-3 victory. The decisive match came down to the final singles contest between Brown's Lukas Phimvongsa and Buffalo's Theodoros Mitsakos, with Mitsakos prevailing in a tight 7-6 (4), 6-4 battle.

  • The match took place on Sunday, February 12, 2026.

The players

Lukas Phimvongsa

A player on the Brown men's tennis team.

Theodoros Mitsakos

A player on the University at Buffalo men's tennis team who defeated Phimvongsa in the decisive singles match.

Mike Fried

The head coach of the Brown men's tennis team.

Zander Bravo

A player on the Brown men's tennis team.

Ivan Sodan

A player on the Brown men's tennis team.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The team will next face Columbia (3-3) in New Jersey on Friday for their first conference match of the year.

The takeaway

This close loss to a strong Buffalo squad shows the Bears' ability to compete with top teams, and they will look to bounce back in their upcoming conference match against Columbia.