Box Score DES MOINES, Iowa - A comeback bid for Western Michigan men's tennis fell just short, as they were defeated 4-3 at Drake in Des Moines, Iowa. With the loss, the Broncos go to 2-1 overall on the season, while the Bulldogs improve to 1-0. 

Western Michigan won two of the three doubles matches to take the 1-0 advantage early on. Jannik Opitz and Kennosuke Nouchi, the reigning Mid-American Conference Doubles Team of the Week, improved to 3-0 on the season after defeating Barny Thorold and Finley Hall. Jack Randall and Peter Kuszynski also improved to 3-0 on the year to secure the doubles point for the Broncos, picking up a 6-4 victory over Reid Jarvis and David Nyman.

In singles action, Nouchi won his match at the #3 position in straight sets to give WMU the 2-0 lead. Kennosuke remains undefeated in overall play during the 2020 campaign through three dual matches. The momentum then swung to the Bulldogs, who took the next three contests to jump ahead of the Broncos for the first time on the afternoon at 3-2.

Opitz defeated Thorold at #1 singles in three sets (6-2, 5-7, 6-2) to tie the score at 3-3 and keep the Broncos hopes of victory alive. In what would become the deciding contest, Western Michigan freshman Arjun Honnappa forced a third set against Matija Matic at #6 singles after prevailing in a second set tie breaker. Honnappa earned a break of serve to tie the set at five a-piece, but Matic won the next two games to clinch the 4-3 win for his team. 

Western Michigan will face Iowa tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET in its second of three matches in the Hawkeye State. 

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