FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The Wichita State men's tennis team suffered its first setback of the season, dropping a 6-1 decision to Arkansas Friday night at the Dills Tennis Center.

The Razorbacks won the doubles point, taking two matches from the Shockers right off the bat. The Shocker doubles tandem of Albert Ballesta and Thiago Dos Santos picked up WSU's only doubles win, defeating Razorback counterparts Chris Nott and Dmitry Lebedev 8-5 in the No. 2 position. In the No. 1 doubles match, Shockers Tiago Espirito Santo and Jonathan Obrist dropped an 8-2 decision to Blake Strode and Colin Mascall, while WSU's Adrian Chermaci and Matt Tievans fell 8-4 to Arkansas's Matt Hogan and Taylor King in the No. 3 doubles match.

In singles play, Adrian Chermaci picked up the Shockers' only point of the match when he defeated Dmitry Lebedev in a tightly-contested 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (4) decision in the No. 5 singles slot. In other action, Tiago Espirito Santo dropped the No. 1 singles point by dropping a 6-3, 6-0 decision to 76th-ranked Blake Strode, while Albert Ballesta fell in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, to Colin Mascall at the No. 2 position.

Thiago Dos Santos came up short in his bid for a point at the No. 3 slot, dropping a 6-4, 6-3 contest to Chris Nott, while Jonathan Obrist was defeated 7-6 (6), 6-3, in his first match back from an early-season ankle injury. Meanwhile, Matt Tievans dropped his second match as a Shocker in a 6-3, 6-4 decision to Bradwin Williams to round out the match.

The Shockers are back in action Monday, Feb. 18 when they welcome in-state foe Washburn to Wichita. First serve is slated for 1 p.m. at Genesis Health Club on Rock Road.


Arkansas 6, Wichita St. 1
Singles
1. #76 Blake Strode (UA) def. Tiago Espirito Santo (WSU), 6-3, 6-0
2. Colin Mascall (UA) def. Albert Ballesta (WSU), 6-4, 6-4
3. Chris Nott (UA) def. Thiago Dos Santos (WSU), 6-4, 6-3
4. Matt Hogan (UA) def. Jonathan Obrist (WSU), 7-6(6), 6-3
5. Adrian Chermaci (WSU) def. Dmitry Lebedev (UA), 4-6, 6-3, 1-0(4)
6. Bradwin Williams (UA) def. Matt Teivans (WSU), 6-3, 6-4

Doubles
1. Blake Strode/Colin Mascall (UA) def. Tiago Espirito Santo/Jonathan Obrist (WSU), 8-2
2. Albert Ballesta/Thiago Dos Santos (WSU) def. Chris Nott/Dmitry Lebedev (UA), 8-5
3. Matt Hogan/Taylor King (UA) def. Adrian Chermaci/Matt Teivans (WSU), 8-4

Order of Finish: Doubles (1, 3, 2); Singles (1, 6, 3, 4, 2, 5)

--Wichita State--