MURFREESBORO, Tenn. --- The men's tennis team lost its first match of the season Saturday, falling 6-1 to Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro.

The Mocs, now 1-1, played a highly competitive match at the Racquet Club of Murfreesboro, but the Blue Raiders proved to be too much.

Middle Tennessee, also 1-1 on the year, swept the three doubles matches to claim the early 1-0 lead.

Junior Peter Sauska tied the score for the Mocs, winning at the No. 3 singles position for what would be Chattanooga's only team point of the evening.  Sauska defeated Chris Nowak, 6-0, 6-1 in the first completed singles match.

Senior Badr Bouabdellah played well at No. 1 singles, taking John Peers to a second-set tie break before dropping a 7-5, 7-6 decision.  Fellow senior Razvan Axente won his opening set at the No. 2 position but fell in three sets to Marc Rocafort, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.

The Blue Raiders also claimed the bottom three matches.  Morgan Richard defeated Pavel Vostrikov at No. 4, 6-2, 6-3, Richard Cowden bested freshman Hasan Hamadeh, 6-1, 6-2 at No. 5, and Alex McCann was a 6-3, 7-5 winner over Rick van de Bovemkamp at No. 6.

The Mocs return to action Feb. 1 and 2 when they take on Eastern Kentucky, Indiana State and Wright State at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Ky.

Middle Tennessee 6, Chattanooga 1
The Racquet Club, Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Doubles (for one team point)
1. Richard/Rocafort (MT) def. Razvan Axente/Badr Bouabdellah (UTC), 8-4
2. Cowden/Nowak (MT) def. Peter Sauska/Pavel Vostrikov (UTC), 8-6
3. Peers/McCann (MT) def. Robert Diamond/Hamadeh (UTC), 8-3

Singles
1. John Peers (MT) def. Badr Bouabdellah (UTC), 7-5, 7-6(5)
2. Marc Rocafort (MT) def. Razvan Axente (UTC), 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
3. Peter Sauska (UTC) def. Chris Nowak (MT), 6-0, 6-1
4. Morgan Richard (MT) def. Pavel Vostrikov (UTC), 6-2, 6-3
5. Richard Cowden (MT) def. Hasan Hamadeh (UTC), 6-1, 6-2
6. Alex McCann (MT) def. Rick van de Bovenkamp (UTC), 6-3, 7-5

Team records: UTC (1-1); Middle Tennessee (1-1)