FORT SMITH, Ark. – After winning the doubles point, the St. Mary's Men's Tennis team struggled to find their rhythm in singles play and lost a 4-3 decision at UAFS on Friday afternoon.
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The junior duo of
Jake Faryniarz (San Antonio) and
Nicolas Llosa (Lima, Peru) won their third-straight match and moved to 3-2 in league play with a 6-1 victory at number two doubles. After the #3 team from the Lions evened up the ledger, the tandem of
Oskar Irdoja (Tallinn, Estonia) and
Ryan Koth (New Braunfels, Texas) snapped a four-match losing skid with a late break of serve for the 7-5 win and the all-important team point.
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"Unfortunately, we just got off to slow starts in the singles," Director of Tennis
Bill Macom said. "We won the doubles point and couldn't carry that momentum forward."
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The Lions (4-9) won two of the next three points to tie things up at 2-2. Freshman
Aaron Ben Anton (Remseck, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) played the first match of his career on court three, winning 7-6 (5), 6-3.
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UAFS took the lead with a win at number five, but
Daniel Matheu Baldor (Madrid, Spain) knotted the score again at 3-3 with his 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 victory at the fourth spot.
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Though decided in straight sets there were lengthy games at #6 singles as Nicolas Retamales clinched the team win for UAFS with his 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over Faryniarz.
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The Rattlers don't get much rest as they turn around and face a tough Cameron team, ranked 18th nation, at 10 a.m. on Saturday in Lawton, Okla. The Aggies defeated Washburn on Wednesday in their last match, 4-3.
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