MAGNOLIA, Ark. – For the first time since competing at the 2019 NCAA Division II Men's Tennis National Championships, #25 Southern Arkansas Men's Tennis was in action on Friday afternoon in the team's season opener from the Live Oaks Tennis Courts. The Muleriders topped UT-Tyler 5-2 to improve to 11-0 at home as a Division II program, but on Saturday afternoon, SAU fell 5-2 to Delta State in Arkadelphia. Southern Arkansas returns to action on Tuesday, February 11, in Magnolia for a pair of matches with Texas A&M-Texarkana (3 p.m.) and Centenary (6 p.m.).
 
The doubles team of sophomores Stuart Rehfuss and Yuri Gondouin won both of their matches this weekend. Gondouin won an impressive three-set match at line two in the team's win over UT-Tyler as did freshman Sofiane Bah, who was making his Mulerider spring debut, at line four against the Patriots. In Saturday's loss, sophomore Alex Machaj won a three-set match at line four to earn one of the Muleriders' two points, while Rehfuss picked up his first win of the season with a two-set defeat of #31 Emile Le Terrier.
 
UT-Tyler (W, 5-2)
 
Doubles competition
1. Stuart Rehfuss / Yuri Gondouin (SAU) def. Michael Apple / Jorge Sala (UTT) 6-4
2. Daniel Rodriguez / Jan Lucca Marquadt (UTT) def. Alexandre Machaj / Sofiane Bah (SAU) 2-6
3. Gustavo Kerber / Marko Nikoliuk (SAU) def. Gabriel Hidalgo / Stephen Young (UTT) 6-4
 
Singles competition
1. Jan Lucca Marquadt (UTT) def. #55 Stuart Rehfuss (SAU) 6-4, 6-4
2. Yuri Gondouin (SAU) def. Stephen Young (UTT) 5-7, 6-2, 6-1
3. Alexandre Machaj (SAU) def. Jonas Dixon (UTT) 6-1, 7-5
4. Sofiane Bah (SAU) def. Daniel Rodriguez (UTT) 2-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5
5. Gustavo Kerber (SAU) def. Michael Apple (UTT) 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (5)
6. Jorge Sala (UTT) def. Raymond Marin (SAU) 7-5, 6-0
 
Delta State (L, 5-2)
 
Doubles competition
1. Stuart Rehfuss / Yuri Gondouin (SAU) def. Mason Vice / Hugo Stroppiana-Pillon (DSU) 6-1
2. Emile Le Terrier / Trey Seymour (DSU) def. Alexandre Machaj / Sofiane Bah (SAU) 6-4
3. Leo De Sousa / Côme Bracaval (DSU) def. Marko Nikoliuk / Gustavo Kerber (SAU) 6-4
Emiliano Elizarraraz del Arco / Tyler Santucci (DSU) def. Raymond Marin / Iker Brull (SAU) 6-4
 
Singles competition
1. #55 Stuart Rehfuss (SAU) def. #31 Emile Le Terrier (DSU) 6-2, 7-6 (4)
2. Hugo Stroppiana-Pillon (DSU) def. Marko Nikoliuk (DSU) 6-2, 6-1
3. Leo De Sousa (DSU) def. Yuri Gondouin (SAU) 6-2, 6-1
4. Alexandre Machaj (SAU) def. Trey Seymour (DSU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
5. Côme Bracaval (DSU) def. Sofiane Bah (SAU) 6-4, 7-6 (4)
6. Mason Vice (DSU) def. Gustavo Kerber (SAU) 6-7 (5), 6-3, 8-10