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The Lee University men's tennis team trailed 3-0 following doubles competition and were unable to complete the comeback in a 5-4 loss to Tennessee Wesleyan College in a non-conference match at the DeVos Tennis Center. The Flames fell to 10-8 and the Bulldogs improved to 12-3.

Frederico Staksrud and Jaime Llardo held off Jake Okines and Rhys Milne for the 8-5 win in No. 1 doubles. Pancho Gallardo and Caio Bardauil beat Karl Hulten and Charles Jabaley by the same score. Eirik Groner and Boyd Blackburn were doubled up by Alejandro Prada and Gavin Grievel, 8-4.

Groner pointed Lee in the right direction with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Staksrud. Okines lost his first set, 6-4, to Bardauil before forcing a third set with a 6-2 mark in the second set. Okines outlasted his TWC opponent to win the final set, 7-5.

Milne evened the team score at 3-3 with a three-set win over Llardo. After losing the first set with a 10-8 tie-breaker score, Milne was the next two sets 6-3 and 6-4.

Blackburn gave the Flames a lead with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Gallardo at No. 4 singles, but TWC would win the final two singles matches to claim the 5-4 team margin.

"We paid the price today for a slow start in doubles," said Lee head coach Patric Hynes. "Usually winning four singles matches should be enough to get a win, but not today. Our guys showed great fight in singles with really tough wins in all four spots. This team has a lot of heart and they battle hard for each other. It's just a pity we didn't have a better platform to start from. The only thing to do is go back and try to improve for the next match. No issues with our effort whatsoever. We just need to show a bit more discipline in doubles."

The Flames will be back on the courts on Friday at the University of North Alabama. The Gulf South Conference match is scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT.
 

Tennessee Wesleyan 5, Lee University 4
Singles
1. Eirik Groner (LEE) def. Frederico Staksrud (TWC) 6-3, 6-3
2. Rhys Milne (LEE) def. Jaime Llardo (TWC) 6-7 (8-10), 6-3, 6-4
3. Jake Okines (LEE) def. Caio Bardauil (TWC) 4-6, 6-2, 7-5
4. Boyd Blackburn (LEE) def. Pancho Gallardo (TWC) 6-4, 6-2
5. Alejandro Prada (TWC) def. Karl Hulten (LEE) 6-2, 6-1
6. Gavin Grievel (TWC) def. Charles Jabaley (LEE) 6-1, 6-3
 
Doubles
1. Frederico Staksrud/Jaime Llardo (TWC) def. Jake Okines/Rhys Milne (LEE) 8-5
2. Alejandro Prada/Gavin Grievel (TWC) def. Eirik Groner/Boyd Blackburn (LEE) 8-4
3. Pancho Gallardo/Caio Bardauil (TWC) def. Karl Hulten/Charles Jabaley (LEE) 8-5