HOUSTON, Texas – The 44^th-ranked Drake men's tennis team dropped a pair of matches on the first day of the Rice Invitational as the Bulldogs fell to No. 40 Rice, 4-0 and No. 9 Texas Tech, 4-1 at the George R. Brown Tennis Center on Saturday.

Drake began the day against Rice and the Owls jumped on the Bulldogs early by winning the doubles point.

Emanuel Llamas defeated Ben Clark, 7-5, 6-2 at the No. 6 spot to put the Owls up 2-0. On court three, Adam Gustafsson topped Bayo Philips, 7-6, 6-1, while Jake Hansen clinched the match for the Owls with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Calum MacGeoch.

In the nightcap, Texas Tech, who has a pair of nationally ranked doubles teams, won the doubles point to take an early lead over the Bulldogs.

The Red Raiders went up 3-0 with wins on courts one and six. The bright spot of the day for Drake was when MacGeoch earned a straight set victory, 6-0, 7-5, over No. 108 Alex Sendegeya. No. 116 Hugo Dojas defeated Vinny Gillespie, 6-3, 7-6 to secure the match for Texas Tech.

The Bulldogs will close out the weekend on Sunday against No. 70 William & Mary at noon.

#40 Rice 4, #44 Drake 0
3/26/2016 at Houston, TX (George R. Brown Tennis Center) 

Singles competition

1. Jamie Malik (RICE) vs. Lott, Ben (DU) 5-7, 4-3, unfinished

2. Tommy Bennett (RICE) vs. Gillespie, Vinny (DU) 7-5, 4-6, unfinished

3. Adam Gustafsson (RICE) def. Philips, Bayo (DU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1

4. Jake Hansen (RICE) def. MacGeoch, Calum (DU) 6-4, 6-2

5. David Warren (RICE) vs. Stride, Ben (DU) 6-4, 3-6, 1-1, unfinished

6. Emanuel Llamas (RICE) def. Clark, Ben (DU) 7-5, 6-2

 

Doubles competition

1. David Warren/Tommy Bennett (RICE) def. Lott, Ben/Wood, Ben (DU) 6-2

2. Jamie Malik/Adam Gustafsson (RICE) vs. Gillespie, Vinny/MacGeoch, Calum (DU) 5-4, unfinished

3. Emanuel Llamas/Jake Hansen (RICE) def. Philips, Bayo/Stride, Ben (DU) 6-4

 

Match Notes

Drake 13-7; National ranking #44

Rice 15-5; National ranking #40

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (6,3)

58th Rice Invitational

 
#9 Texas Tech 4, #44 Drake 1
3/26/2016 at Houston, Tx (George R. Brown Tennis Center) 

Singles competition

1. #14 Felipe Soares (TT) def. Lott, Ben (DU) 6-3, 7-5

2. #116 Hugo Dojas (TT) def. Gillespie, Vinny (DU) 6-3, 7-6 (8-6)

3. MacGeoch, Calum (DU) def. #108 Alex Sendegeya (TT) 6-0, 7-5

4. Philips, Bayo (DU) vs. Jolan Cailleau (TT) 3-6, 5-6, unfinished

5. Hands, Tom (DU) vs. Connor Curry (TT) 2-6, 6-4, unfinished

6. Bjorn Thomson (TT) def. Wood, Ben (DU) 6-1, 6-0

 

Doubles competition

1. #6 Hugo Dojas/Felipe Soares (TT) def. Lott, Ben/Wood, Ben (DU) 6-3

2. #57 Alex Sendegeya/Bjorn Thomson (TT) def. Gillespie, Vinny/MacGeoch, Calum (DU) 6-2

3. Philips, Bayo/Stride, Ben (DU) vs. Connor Curry/Carlos DiLaura (TT) unfinished

 

Match Notes

Texas Tech 21-2; National ranking #9

Drake 13-8; National ranking #44

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (6,1,3,2)