WINTHROP — Hardly a word was spoken, because there really wasn’t need for anything more.

When Kevin and Alex Chamberland started slowly Tuesday in their doubles tennis match, the brothers didn’t have to talk it out. A few glances told the story.

“We don’t really have to talk,” said Kevin Chamberland, a sophomore. Alex is a junior. “We don’t talk to each other because we know what we’re doing. Most of the time, we just look at each other and don’t need to say anything.”

The two brothers have been playing together for about nine years. They settled in and beat a game duo from Lisbon. That victory was part of a 4-1 Western Class C preliminary round victory.

The Ramblers (7-6) advance to play at top-seeded St. Dom’s Wednesday.

“We’ve always been hitting to each other,” Kevin Chamberland said, “so we know each other’s strength and weaknesses.”

It was in doubles that Lisbon (4-9) hoped to give itself a chance to win.

“We changed strategies,” Lisbon coach Paul Giggey said. “Our second doubles won and our first doubles lost, 6-3, 6-3, but they were in it. That was our strategy, to take both doubles and hopefully pull one of the singles matches and go home with a win. It didn’t turn out that way.”

Lisbon’s team of Mitch Austin and Nate Bergeron won in second doubles, 6-2, 6-0, beating Nick Schlosser and Mitch Ketchen.

Jacob Bremmer and Zach Cribbin gave the Chamberlands a challenge, but the Ramblers won, 6-3, 6-3.

“Their second doubles team played really well,” Winthrop coach Alex Shehata said. “Even their first doubles team, our guys have been strong all season. They gave them a run for it. They gave them more games then they normally do.”

It was a matter of the Chamberland brothers settling down and playing to their ability. The brothers defeated a different tandem when they played Lisbon a few weeks ago and had to adjust.

“I think it went well. Not as good as we expected,” said Kevin Chamberland. “The last time we beat them a little better. We just got out to a little rough spot. Once we got into it and did what we were used to, we played pretty well.”

Winthrop veterans Aaron St. Pierre, Declan Chu and Dalton Cummins all won their singles matches in straight sets.

“Having a singles team of seniors is pretty good,” Cummins said. “We all know each other pretty well and played all together for four years. That’s helped improve our game.”

Lisbon’s Levi Dussault provided St. Pierre the toughest test in first singles. St. Pierre won the first set 6-1 and then rallied from a 4-3 deficit to win 6-4 in the second.

Chu beat Mike Jankins in second singles, 6-1, 6-0. Jankins had only played a handful of singles matches this season but was replacing Roger Jama, who was out with an injury.

Cummins secured Winthrop’s first win of the day with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep in third singles, beating Draven Walker.

“Overall, it was a fun match,” Cummins said. “I felt like I played good.”

kmills@sunjournal.com

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