Box Score CHATTANOOGA --- The Chattanooga Mocs men's tennis team battled in the season-opening match but eventually dropped a tight 4-3 decision to Jacksonville State on Friday morning at the Strang-Voges Tennis Center at The McCallie School.
 
Chattanooga opens the season 0-1 following the defeat while Jacksonville State improves to 1-0 after the victory.
 
The Mocs saw two victories in the doubles matches behind the tandems of Tomas Rodriguez and Peyton Gatti and Jordan McClure and Ryan Mudre. Rodriguez and Gatti picked up where they left off from the successful fall campaign and downed the duo of Alexander Vishnevskiy and Thomas Norwood, 6-2. Similarly, McClure and Mudre posted a 6-2 tally, earning the victory over Vicente Arbelaez and Daisuke Inagawa.
 
In singles action, Rodriguez earned a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Joaquin Vallejo to claim the team's second point of the match. McClure took a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Jordi Blanchar to help aid the squad's efforts. UTC's Kerim Hyatt and Simon Labbe each found themselves on the wrong end of tiebreaking sets as the two squads battled to the end.
 
"The guys competed hard today and came up short," said head coach Chuck Merzbacher. "I'm proud of the fight and toughness, we just need to close out games and sets. If we do that, we'll be in good shape."
 
MEN'S RESULTS
Jacksonville State 4, Chattanooga 3
D1: Tomas Rodriguez/Peyton Gatti (UTC) def. A. Vishnevskiy/T. Norwood (JSU) – 6-2
D2: A. Kaplja/J. Vallejo (JSU) def. Kerim Hyatt/Simon Labbe (UTC) – 6-3
D3: Jordan McClure/Ryan Mudre (UTC) def. V. Dobrnjac/D. Inagawa – 6-2
S1: Tomas Rodriguez (UTC) def. J. Vallejo – 6-4, 6-3
S2: T. Norwood (JSU) def. Kerim Hyatt (UTC) – 5-7, 6-2, 6-0
S3: V. Dobrnjac (JSU) def. Simon Labbe (UTC) – 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
S4: V. Arbelaez (JSU) def. Peyton Gatti (UTC) – 7-6 (5), 7-5
S5: Jordan McClure (UTC) def. J. Blanchar (JSU) – 6-4, 6-4
S6: D. Inagawa (JSU) def. Jacob Marshall (UTC) – 6-2, 6-2

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