MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. - Senior Maor Zirkin (Kibutz Hazor, Israel) moved closer to becoming the winningest player in school history but the 53rd-rated Drake men's tennis team set a dubious mark of its own as the Bulldogs dropped a 5-2 decision to Binghamton on Saturday (Feb. 21).

The setback dropped Drake to 2-5 on the campaign, while improving the Bears to 5-1 overall. 

In what has been a season of transition for the Bulldogs, their five losses, including three against top-50 ranked teams, are the most under fourth-year head coach Chase Hodges.

As for Zirkin, he collected two triumphs on the afternoon to record his 202nd and 203rd career victories to move within three wins of equaling Dalibor Pavic (2004-08) and Robert Novotny (1993-97) atop the all-time Drake victory list at 206.

Zirkin paired with senior Ricardo Lau (Tecugigalpa, Honduras) to post an 8-3 decision over Moshe Levy and Andreas Danielsson at the third doubles hole.  In singles, Zirkin downed Levy, 6-2, 6-3 at the No. 1 slot.

Fellow senior Ivan Mendoza (Wellington, New Zealand) accounted for Drake's other singles win bettering Rafael Rodrigues at the No. 6 position, 6-4, 6-2.

The Bulldogs return to action on Sunday (Feb. 22) as Drake faces No. 60 Minnesota in a 1:00 p.m. tilt.

BINGHAMTON (5-1) DEF. NO. 53 DRAKE (2-5), 5-2
FEB. 21, 2009
BASELINE TENNIS CENTER ? MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.

SINGLES:
No. 1 Maor Zirkin (DU) def. Moshe Levy (BU), 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 Sven Vloedgraven (BU) def. Evgeny Silitski (DU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 Arnay Jain (BU) def. Mauricio Ballivian (DU), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
No. 4 Gilbert Wong (BU) def. Ricardo Lau (DU), 6-1, 6-4
No. 5 Alexandre Haggai (BU) def. Guilherme Marsiglia (DU), 7-6 (5), 7-5
No. 6 Ivan Mendoza (DU) def. Rafael Rodrigues (BU), 6-4, 6-2

DOUBLES:
No. 1 Wong/Vloedgraven (BU) def. Marsiglia/Silitski (DU), 8-5
No. 2 Jain/Haggai (BU) def. Mendoza/Ballivian (DU), 8-5
No. 3 Lau/Zirkin (DU) def. Levy/Andreas Danielsson (BU), 8-3