SAN ANTONIO — Axel Cronje posted a three-set victory in singles, but it was not enough for the UTSA men's tennis team in a 6-1 loss at Incarnate Word on Saturday afternoon at Clarence Mabry Tennis Center.
Cronje opened his No. 3 singles match against Joey Vatanadilok with a 6-2 win in the first set, but was forced to head to a third after a 6-4 loss in the second. The freshman from Denmark held on, 7-6, to give the Roadrunners (1-2) their lone point of the day.
The Cardinals (2-2) began the crosstown showdown by snagging the doubles point.
The UTSA duo of Fabian Brand and Igor Cantanhede teamed up for a 6-1 triumph over Caleb Dyer and Zachary Vander Heidan at No. 2, but Ivanhoe Lissanevitch and Vatanadilok came up with a 6-4 win against Leon Hein and Watanabe at the third spot, sending all eyes to center court. There, Francisco Bendana and Sebastian Mortier pulled out a narrow 7-6 victory against Kai Breitbach and Cronje to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
UIW took a 3-0 lead after straight-set decisions at Nos. 5 and 2 and then clinched the win with a 6-4, 6-2 victory by Nedim Ahmic against Patrick Poestinger at No. 6.
The Roadrunners will host UT Rio Grande Valley (1-3) at 10 a.m. on Sunday.
Incarnate Word 6, UTSA 1
Doubles
1. Bendana/Mortier (UIW) def. Breitbach/Cronje (UTSA) 7-6 (8-6)
2. Brand/Cantanhede (UTSA) def. Dyer/Vander Heidan (UIW) 6-1
3. Lissanevitch/Vatanadilok (UIW) def. Hein/Watanabe (UTSA) 6-4
Singles
1. Sebastian Mortier (UIW) def. Kai Breitbach (UTSA) 7-6, 5-7, 1-0 (12-10)
2. Francisco Bendana (UIW) def. Takeru Watanabe (UTSA) 6-2, 6-3
3. Axel Cronje (UTSA) def. Joey Vatanadilok (UIW) 6-2,43-6, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Ivanhoe Lissanevitch (UIW) def. Igor Cantanhede (UTSA) 6-4, 6-3
5. Caleb Dyer (UIW) def. Leon Hein (UTSA) 6-2, 6-3
6. Nedim Ahmic (UIW) def. Patrick Poestinger (UTSA) 6-4, 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (5,2,6,4,3,1)