ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Wichita State men's tennis team fell just short of victory on Saturday afternoon, losing 4-3 to No. 67 Santa Clara at Linda Estes Tennis Complex.
 
The Shockers (5-7) go 0-2 in the Jack Kennedy Classic and Santa Clara (9-4) will play New Mexico for the tournament title on Sunday.
 
In doubles, it was a tight fight, but it would be the Shockers taking the doubles point from the Broncos. After Kristof Minarik and Ilias Worthington won 6-3 at court three, Luke Bracks and Vanja Hodzic fell 6-4 at court two, sending the point to be decided by Arenui Luethi and Alejandro Jacome at court one.
 
Trailing 6-5, the Shockers rallied to win game 12 to force a tie break to decide the point. In the break, the WSU pair used a tremendous serve game, and one excellent lob return from Luethi to dominate the tiebreak, winning 7-0 to clinch the doubles point for Wichita State.
 
In singles, the Shockers were unable to keep their momentum going, as Santa Clara won the first set on five of six singles courts, with Jacome being the only Shocker to win his first set.
 
Jacome rode his first set win to a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win at court two to put the Shockers up 2-0.
 
Santa Clara scored their first point of the match with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Luke Bracks at court five, cutting their deficit in half.

Later, Worthington would fall 6-4, 7-6 (1) at court four to tie the match at 2-2.
 
Minarik followed his doubles win with a sensational come-from-behind victory in singles. Winning 0-6, 6-4, 6-2 to put the Shockers up 3-2.
 
Unfortunately, Minarik's win would be the last for the Shockers on the day, as Amir Milushev lost 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 at court six and Santa Clara walked off the win with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win over Hodzic at court three, ending the match with a 4-3 decision.
 
Next up, the Shockers return home to face the Memphis Tigers on March 14 at 1:00 PM CT.