The Hillsdale College men's tennis team saw its three-match winning streak snapped by the slimmest possible margin in a 4-3 loss to host Indiana Tech on Friday afternoon.
The 7-1 Warriors, ranked in the top 25 in the NAIA, were tough competition for the Chargers in a match played at Wildwood Racquet Club in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The match turned on two 7-6 (4) tiebreakers, both won by the Warriors, at No. 1 and 3 doubles. If Hillsdale had prevailed in either match, that victory would have given the Chargers the doubles point and a 4-3 victory over Indiana Tech. Hillsdale's No. 2 doubles team of Brennan Cimpeanu and Gabe Katz took a 6-3 victory over the Warriors in the third doubles contest.
Hillsdale split the six singles matches 3-3 with Indiana Tech, led by a 6-2, 7-6 (4) win at No. 1 singles by Tyler Conrad over the Warriors' Brunno Storani. Cimpeanu also was victorious at No. 2 singles, beating Juan Avellaneda 6-1, 6-4 to cap an undefeated day, and fellow freshman Sean Barstow won a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 thriller over Emilio Bowen of Indiana Tech at No. 4 singles as well for the Chargers.
Katz had a close match at No. 6 singles but fell short, 1-6, 6-4, 2-6, to Raybin Chan of Indiana Tech, and Daniel Gilbert also had a hard-fought match at No. 5 singles, losing 5-7, 5-7 to the Warriors' Agustin Cortes.
While the Chargers (8-2) would have preferred a win, a hard-fought match against strong competition should be the perfect warm-up for Hillsdale as it continues heading south to Owensboro, Kentucky to open up Great Midwest Athletic Conference play against Kentucky Wesleyan tomorrow at 10 a.m. Central Time.