The Butler men’s tennis team is still looking for its first victory since Jan. 23 after falling to Toledo 5-2 at the Butler Bubble on Sunday.
The Bulldogs (1-8) were able to post two wins at singles and a win at doubles against the Rockets (9-6). Senior Chris Herron was victorious at No. 3 singles and senior Zach Ervin picked up a win at No. 5 singles. Senior Brandon Bayliss and Lenz Theodor came out on top in their No. 2 doubles match as well.
In the closest singles match of the day, Herron made his way past senior Gursher Harika 7-6, 7-6. The match saw two tiebreakers, which were both won by Herron (7-0, 7-5).
Butler picked up another win at singles thanks to Ervin. He defeated Rockets’ sophomore Bryant Dudzik 6-3, 7-5.
The Bulldogs also captured their first doubles point since Jan. 23. The duo of Bayliss and Theodor defeated the Rockets’ team of senior Nutthavit Likitkumchorn and redshirt junior Leo Sarria 8-3.
The wins stopped there for the Bulldogs. Likitkumchorn and Sarria collected victories over senior Warren Bryce at No. 2 singles and Theodor at No. 4 singles, respectively.
Likitkumchorn won by a score of 7-6, 6-2, while Sarria won 6-1, 7-6 .
Toledo’s other wins at singles came from senior Aleksandar Elezovic, who topped Bayliss 6-0, 6-2 at No. 1 singles, and freshman Mircea Dimofte, who won his No. 6 singles match over senior David Dolins 6-3, 6-0.
Likitkumchorn replaced senior Sven Burus at No. 2 singles after Burus was struggling with an injury following his doubles match earlier in the day. The Rockets’ performance drew praise from Toledo head coach Al Wermer.
“For us to come to Butler and take down one of the Horizon League’s best, with our No. 2 singles player [Burus] on the sidelines, is a tribute to the commitment our team has made—to be relentless, to continue working on its games and to bring the full-team enthusiasm,” Wermer said.
Herron and Bryce competed in the closest doubles match of the day, falling to Elezovic and Burus, 9-8, at No. 1 doubles. Dimofte and Dudzik picked up the Rockets’ second doubles victory by winning 8-2 against Ervin and Dolins at No. 3 doubles.
The loss to Toledo gave Butler a winless February. The Bulldogs are now off until they host Dayton on March 6.
Following the match against the Flyers (0-3), Butler will be on the road for its next four competitions, competing against Mercer and Kentucky before opening its Horizon League campaign at Detroit March 20 and at Green Bay April 2.