DES MOINES – The Drake University men's tennis team leapt out to a 3-0 advantage over Michigan State, but the Bulldogs couldn't get the final result they needed as the Spartans completed the comeback, 4-3, on Friday night at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center.
 
Things began promisingly as Drake swept all three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead in the dual. Reid Jarvis/Matija Matic claimed a 6-3 victory at No. 2, and Drake's two other duos used timely breaks to clinch their results.
 
Finley Hall/Evan Fragistas broke Michigan State in the sixth game, then held on their ensuing serve to go from down 2-3 to up 4-3. Hall/Fragistas finished off the set, 6-3.
 
Barny Thorold/Oliver Johansson trailed 3-4 before holding in the eighth game and earning a break in the ninth game. Drake's No. 1 doubles duo held serve once again to close out a 6-4 set win and earn the Bulldogs a sweep in the doubles sets.
 
Thorold came through for Drake at No. 2, playing his way to a 6-2, 6-2 victory and extending Drake's lead to 2-0. Thorold trailed 1-2 in the first set before reeling off five-straight games.
 
Shortly after Thorold's triumph, Jarvis cleaned up on Court 5, 6-1, 6-2 as Drake's advantage swelled to 3-0.
 
Michigan State responded with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Fragistas at No. 3 to get itself on the board. The Spartans then defeated Hall in a hard-fought match, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 as Drake's lead dwindled to 3-2.
 
The Spartans' charge continued as they knocked off Matic on Court 6, 6-4, 6-7, 2-6, putting the fate of the dual in the result of Court 1.
 
Johansson dropped the first set, 2-6, but rallied back to take the second set, 6-4. With the third set knotted at 4-4, Johansson came through with a big time break to take a 5-4 lead.
 
In the ensuing game, Johansson fell behind 40-15 before clawing back to level it at 40-40. Serving for the deciding point, Johansson could not find the clincher as the match went to the tiebreaking set. Michigan State prevailed, 7-3, to take the match and the dual.
 
The Bulldogs (2-11) host New Mexico at 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center.

Singles competition

1. John Carlin (MSU) def. Oliver Johansson (DU) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3)

2. Barny Thorold (DU) def. Anthony Pero (MSU) 6-2, 6-2

3. Carson Gates (MSU) def. Evan Fragistas (DU) 6-4, 6-3

4. Josh Mukherjee (MSU) def. Finley Hall (DU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3

5. Reid Jarvis (DU) def. Kazuki Matsuno (MSU) 6-1, 6-2

6. Jarreau Campbell (MSU) def. Matija Matic (DU) 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 6-2

Doubles competition

1. Barny Thorold/Oliver Johansson (DU) def. Jarreau Campbell/Drew Keene (MSU) 6-4

2. Reid Jarvis/Matija Matic (DU) def. John Carlin/Anthony Pero (MSU) 6-3

3. Finley Hall/Evan Fragistas (DU) def. Kazuki Matsuno/Josh Mukherjee (MSU) 6-3

Match Notes

Michigan State 5-4

Drake 2-11

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (2,5,3,4,6,1)

T-3:07 A-122