REDLANDS, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Tennis team attempted to take down the fifth ranked team in the country, Tufts University, Monday evening falling 6-1 inside the Verdieck Tennis Center.

Doubles again looked promising for the Bulldogs. Samuel Parsons (Leamington Spa, England) and Cooper Whittington (Lake Oswego, OR) at No. 2 took care of business winning 6-4. The other doubles teams on Courts 1 and 3 were deadlocked. Ultimately, the Jumbos pulled out both of those matches, winning the early doubles point. The No.1 team of Vitomir Petcov (Portland, OR) and Marlon Abarca (San Diego, CA) and No. 3 Jack Hinkle (Bountiful, UT) and Mateen Ghafarshad (Claremont, CA) both fell 6-4.

Redlands tried to keep this momentum going into singles. However, the Jumbos jumped up 4-0 when they secured the next three matches clinching the match.  Petcov on the first court looked promising as he had a big lead in the second set after losing the first, but could not pull it off losing 6-2, 6-4. At No.3 Abarca fell 6-3, 6-2 and No. 2 Gustavo Marcanth (Redondo Beach, CA) fell 7-5, 6-2.   

The last three matches on, could have gone in the Bulldogs favor with all three courts splitting sets. Hinkle on Court 4 commanded his first set 6-2 but could not seal the deal in the next two sets, as the Jumbos won 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.  Next court was William Pullin (Peachtree City, GA) who had a successful day in the office getting Redlands their only point for the day. Pullin won his first set 6-4, got off track in the second falling 6-1, and then came out victorious in the third 6-3.

The last match of the day came down to Ghafarshad at No. 6, who came back from a first set loss 6-1, winning the tiebreak for the second set 7-6, and because of the clinch timing played a tie breaker for the third set. However, Ghafarshad lost the close tie break 10-6.

Redlands returns to the court Wednesday, March 18 when they host No. 7 Bowdoin College beginning at 4:00pm inside the Verdieck Tennis Center.