BRISTOL, R.I. — The Roger Williams University men's tennis team captured the doubles point but fell to Clark, 5-2, in its season opener Saturday at the RWU Tennis Courts.
Roger Williams (0-1, 0-0 CNE) earned victories at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, while Will Hurlbut (Marion, Mass.) picked up the Hawks' lone singles win at No. 6. Clark (1-0, 0-0 NEWMAC) took five of the six singles matches to secure the victory.
Tucker Taylor (Gonzales, Texas) and Soheen Jagasia (Sugar Land, Texas) combined for a 6-4 victory over Ziad Tabbara and Marciej Jaruga at No. 2 doubles. Josh Mizrahi (Albertson, N.Y.) and Nathan Belmore (Lakeville, Mass.) clinched the doubles point with a 7-6 (7-5) win over Sebastian Elias and Matthias Birkenholz at No. 3.
Clark's Ed Shepherd-Johnson and Aris Kirkorian earned victories in both singles and doubles, teaming for a 6-3 win over Bronson DeSisto (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Hurlbut at the top doubles position.
In singles, Hurlbut rallied after dropping the opening set to Birkenholz, earning a 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 10-8 victory. DeSisto also forced a deciding match tiebreaker at No. 1, taking the second set before falling to Kirkorian, 6-3, 3-6, 10-5.
Shepherd-Johnson defeated Jagasia, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 2, while Tabbara topped Mizrahi, 6-1, 6-4, at No. 3. Jaruga earned a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Taylor at No. 4, and Elias defeated Om Seth (Lincoln, R.I.), 6-1, 6-3, at No. 5.
Roger Williams returns to action Sunday, Sept. 27, at the Newport Grass Court Tournament beginning at noon.
