FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Omaha men's tennis team began the 2021 campaign with a pair of losses at Arkansas on Friday.
 
The Mavericks fell 6-1 in the first match before being shut out in the second match, 7-0.
 
Match One: Arkansas 6, Omaha 1
Doubles Play
Omaha took the first doubles match with Matt Hulme and Abdoul Ouattara collecting a 6-2 victory. The Razorbacks tied it up in the No. 3 match before the Mavericks clinched the doubles point with a win in the No. 2 match by Hugo Piles Ballester and Davis Lawley.
 
Singles Play
Arkansas swept Omaha in singles action with all six matches ending in two sets.
 
Match Two: Arkansas 7, Omaha 0
Doubles Play
The Razorbacks took two of the three doubles matches to clinch the doubles point. Hulme and Ouattara won their second doubles match of the night with a 7-6 (7-3) victory.
 
Singles Play
Arkansas won all six matches, with the No. 2 match going to a third set. Lawley suffered a three-set loss in the No. 2 match, falling 6-7 (10-12), 6-4, 3-10.
 
Barlow's Bits
"I'm really proud of how the guys fought today. The first team match in almost a year and it seems the guys haven't missed a beat. We came out and played strong fundamental doubles and fought hard in singles, but just couldn't sneak out a win. We will build off this as we take on another tough opponent (Wichita State) tomorrow." – head coach Matthew Barlow
 
What's Next
Omaha takes on Wichita State tomorrow at 4 p.m. on the road in Wichita, Kan.