Courtesy of Newberry College Athletics
NEWBERRY – The Newberry College men’s tennis team put together a gritty effort on Monday afternoon but ultimately fell to the Valkyries in a 6-1 decision.
The Wolves opened play with a hard-fought doubles round. Daniel Watson and Martin Posada Garcia dropped a 3-6 decision at the top spot, while both the No. 2 pair of Senthen Reddy and Sohei Kamiyama and the No. 3 duo of Lucas Murk and Noel Bartz pushed their matches to tiebreaks before falling 6-7.
In singles, Newberry kept the pressure on as several matches went the distance. Watson took the opening set at No. 1 singles before narrowly falling 6-1, 4-6, 2-6 in a three-set battle. Murk also stretched his opponent to three sets at No. 5 singles, splitting the first two before dropping a tight 4-6, 6-2, 4-6 match.
The Wolves secured their lone point at No. 3 singles, where Reddy was leading deep into the third set before his opponent was forced to retire (6-3, 1-6, 2-1).
Elsewhere in the lineup, Posada Garcia fell 2-6, 1-6 at No. 2 singles, while Kamiyama dropped a 3-6, 0-6 decision on court four. Bartz was in the middle of a marathon at No. 6 singles, splitting the first two sets 7-6, 6-7 before the match went unfinished.
Despite the loss, the Wolves showed plenty of fight, pushing three matches to decisive third sets and taking two others to tiebreakers in doubles action.
Newberry will look to regroup quickly as they return to action on September 2oth at the Coker Invittational Tournament.