CLAREMONT, Calif. – The University of Redlands Men's Tennis team traveled to the Bisantz Family Tennis Center on Saturday to take on top-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, falling 6-1.

The Bulldogs got off to a slow start in doubles watching CMS take the early point.  On the first court, Vitomir Petcov (Portland, OR) and MJ Abarca (San Diego, CA) fell 6-1.  On court two Sam Parsons (Leamington Spa, England) and Cooper Whittington (Lake Oswego, OR) were edged out 6-2.  Then Jack Hinkle (Bountiful. UT) and Mateen Ghafarshad (Claremont, CA) on court three had opportunities, but dropped 6-3. 

This did not appear like a setback for Redlands though, as they put together a fight in singles.  Ultimately, the Stags picked up five of the next six points as they would grab the home victory. Petcov at the top spot dropped 6-2, 6-0. Next to him, Gustavo Marcanth (Redondo Beach, CA) at No. 2 also was taken down after a promising first set 6-3, 6-1. Hinkle at No. 4 was making a run up a break in his second set after a close first set, but would fall 6-4, 6-4.

Abarca at No. 2 had a big first set forcing a tiebreak but fell just short 7-6 and failed to carry that momentum into the second frame dropping 6-1.  William Pullin (Peachtree City, GA) at No. 5 went through a similar struggle dropping a close first set 6-4, before making a comeback in the second set, eventually falling in the tiebreak 7-6.

The match of the day was Ghafarshad at No. 6 securing the only point of the day for Redlands. Ghafarshad powered through the first set with a huge comeback in the tiebreak 7-6 before getting edged 6-4 in the second.  In the third set tiebreak he was able to bounce back taking it 11-9.

Redlands returns to the court Monday, April 13 when they host the re-scheduled Caltech match beginning at 5:00pm.