ROHNERT PARK, Calif. -- Led by a pair of wins from partners Matt Roberts/Daniel Henke and Drexler Dy/Jimmy Manning, the Sonoma State men's tennis team took an early 2-1 lead after doubles play, but visiting Western New Mexico battled back in the singles competition to take a 4-3 lead, eventually clinching the match at No. 6 singles to defeat SSU, 5-4, on Friday afternoon in Rohnert Park.  The Seawolves fall to 2-7 this season, while the Mustangs move to .500 with a 5-5 mark.

Sonoma State got off to a quick start as it worked to avenge an earlier 5-4 loss to Western New Mexico on Feb. 11 in Arizona.  The doubles teams of Roberts/Henke and Dy/Manning claimed identical 8-6 wins at No. 2 and No 3 doubles, respectively.

In singles play, Roberts would defeat his opponent, Johan Weich, in straight sets (6-2, 6-3) at the No. 1 position to give the Seawolves within two points of the match victory.  However, the 35th-ranked Mustangs came back with wins at No. 2 (6-4, 6-1), No. 3 (6-0, 7-5) and No. 4 (6-4, 6-1) to lead 4-3.

With two matches left to complete, Vincent Paganetti battled tough with Roy Ulibarri and forced a tiebraker in the first set, but Ulibarri would pull through for the first set win before clinching the match for Western New Mexico with a second-set victory, defeating Paganetti, 7-6 (6), 6-3.  Greg Eckstedt would claim the other singles victory for Sonoma State, a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 thriller, at No. 5 to conclude the match, but WNMU escaped Rohnert Park with the narrow 5-4 match win.

Sonoma State will take a 21-hour break before returning to action on Saturday in Santa Clara, a rescheduled match that was previously rained out back on Jan. 21.  The Seawolves and Broncos are slated to start at 3:00 p.m.

#35 Western New Mexico 5, #40 Sonoma State 4
Mar 09, 2012 at Rohnert Park, Calif. (SSU Tennis Courts)

Singles competition
1. Matt Roberts (SSU) def. WEICH, Johan (WNMU) 6-2, 6-3
2. FUENTES, Juan Pablo (WNMU) def. Drexler Dy (SSU) 6-4, 6-1
3. ALMEIDA, Rodrigo (WNMU) def. David Hutton (SSU) 6-0, 7-5
4. COVIZZI, Matthieu (WNMU) def. Daniel Henke (SSU) 6-4, 6-1
5. Greg Eckstedt (SSU) def. BELIN, Jean Benoit (WNMU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
6. ULIBARRI, Roy (WNMU) def. Vincent Paganetti (SSU) 7-6 (6-0), 6-3

Doubles competition
1. WEICH, Johan/FUENTES, Juan Pablo (WNMU) def. David Hutton/Seth Hein (SSU) 8-6
2. Matt Roberts/Daniel Henke (SSU) def. BELIN, Jean Benoit/ALMEIDA, Rodrigo (WNMU) 8-6
3. Drexler Dy/Jimmy Manning (SSU) def. LOPEZ, Omar/ULIBARRI, Roy (WNMU) 8-6