One team’s winning streak had to end Tuesday afternoon in Little Rock, Ark., as the No. 64-ranked Tiger men’s tennis team battled the Trojans.
Arkansas-Little Rock entered the match having won eight in a row while Memphis arrived in Little Rock with its second six-game winning streak of the season.
But it was the Trojans Tuesday who would leave with their winning streak intact, beating Memphis, 5-2.
The Tigers looked good early and jumped out to a 1-0 lead over Arkansas-Little Rock after doubles competition. Memphis earned the point with the help of doubles partners Ben Stapp and sophomore Lee Taylor Walker, who won their match, 9-8, in a tiebreaker.
However, when singles play started, the momentum swung in favor of the Trojans, who promptly took five of the six matches.
The only Tiger to take a singles match was senior Michael Chamberlain, last week’s Conference USA Player of the Week. Chamberlain beat Francesco Pagani, 7-6, 7-5, to improve his team-best singles record to 18-3 while Pagani dropped to 9-4 on the season.
Arkansas Little Rock’s best player, Mariano Pettigrosso, beat Ben Stapp 6-4, 6-4, to improve to 15-5. Stapp fell to 11-8 on the season.
Two other Tigers pushed their matches to a third set.
Walker lost to Alexei Poutchinets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, and freshman Alex Bucewicz lost to Trojan Mithun Murali in three sets, 7-6, 1-6, 6-2.
Walker’s singles record fell to 12-6 while Bucewicz dropped to 16-6.
Memphis, which fell to 16-6 overall, had not lost a match since losing to then No. 5 Ole Miss March 21.
Arkansas-Little Rock improved to 15-5 on the season.
