MIDLOTHIAN, Texas – The Southern Arkansas Men's Tennis team suffered a tight 4-2 loss to #12 St. Edward's on Friday afternoon. The loss drops the team to 3-2 on the season. SAU opens MIAA-GAC play on Tuesday as they host Northwest Missouri State, MIAA-GAC North Division preseason favorite, at 2 p.m. from the Live Oaks Tennis Courts.
 
In the defeat, the Muleriders claimed the doubles point as wins by sophomores Yuri Gondouin / Marko Nikoliuk and Iker Brull / Alexandre Machaj set SAU up with the match's first point. The Hilltoppers used a victory at #6 to even the match, before SAU sophomore Sofiane Bah won at #5 with a 6-4, 6-2 decision over Abhi Ramireddy. SEU tied the match at 2-2 with a victory at #4 and then received a pair of back-and-forth three set victories at #1 and #2 to edge Southern Arkansas in the neutral site contest.
 
#12 St. Edward's 4, Southern Arkansas 2
 
Singles (6,5,4,1,2)
1. #4 Anish Sriniketh (SEU) def. Stuart Rehfuss (SAU) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
2. #24 Chase Bartlett (SEU) def. #15 Marko Nikoliuk (SAU) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
3. Jesse Wikso (SEU) vs. Yuri Gondouin (SAU) 4-6, 7-5, 3-4, unfinished
4. Gabriel Zuniga (SEU) def. Alexandre Machaj (SAU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
5. Sofiane Bah (SAU) def. Abhi Ramireddy (SEU) 6-4, 6-2
6. Luis Diaz (SEU) def. Raymond Marin (SAU) 6-3, 6-1
 
Doubles (2,3,1)
1. #13 Chase Bartlett/Anish Sriniketh (SEU) def. Sofiane Bah/Stuart Rehfuss (SAU) 7-5
2. Yuri Gondouin/Marko Nikoliuk (SAU) def. #4 Abhi Ramireddy/Jesse Wikso (SEU) 6-4
3. Iker Brull/Alexandre Machaj (SAU) def. Luis Diaz/Zac Robinson (SEU) 7-5
 
Match Notes:
Southern Arkansas 3-2
St. Edward's 8-1; National ranking #12