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BLACKSBURG, Va. – The No. 40 ranked Virginia Tech men’s tennis team battled against No. 66 Minnesota on Saturday afternoon, but the Gophers held off the Hokies for a 4-3 win in the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center.

The Hokies (4-4) fell behind after dropping the doubles point to Minnesota (5-3) and entered the singles matches down 1-0.

Tech tied up the match at 1-1 with a win from Mauricio Antun in the No. 4 singles as he defeated Julian Dehn, 6-2, 6-3. The Gophers reclaimed the lead in the next completed match with Jack Hamburg defeating Corrado Degl’ Incerti Tocci, 6-4, 6-4 in the No. 5 match.

The Hokies went back on top, leading 3-2 after wins in the No. 1 and No. 6 matches. Luka Somen rallied past Phillip Arndt in the No. 1 after falling behind with a 6-2 loss in the first set. Somen responded to win sets two and three with scores of 6-1, 6-2.

In the No. 6 singles, Tech’s Trpimir Kujundzic battled past Mathieu Froment. After losing the first set, 6-4, Kujundzic claimed set two, 6-3 and followed that up with a 6-4 win in the third set.

The Gophers tied the match back up at 3-3 with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 win by Leandro Toledo in the No. 3 singles as he defeated Lucas Oliveira.

Virginia Tech and Minnesota went back and forth in the deciding match at No. 2 as the Hokies’ Patrick Daciek claimed the first set 7-5. UM’s Rok Bonin answered to take the second set 6-3. The two went back and forth in the final set, but Bonin held on for the 6-4 win to secure the match for the Gophers.

The Hokies will be back on the court on Sunday, hosting a doubleheader. Tech will play St. Bonaventure at 10 a.m. followed by James Madison at 4 p.m.

#66 Minnesota 4 - #40 Virginia Tech 3

Singles
1. #68 Luka Somen (VT) def. Phillip Arndt (UM) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
2. Rok Bonin (UM) def. Patrick Daciek (VT) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
3. #112 Leandro Toledo (UM) def. #90 Lucas Oliveira (VT) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
4. Mauricio Antun (VT) def. Julian Dehn (UM) 6-2, 6-3
5. Jack Hamburg (UM) def. Corrado Degl’ Incerti Tocci (VT) 6-4, 6-4
6. Trpimir Kujundzic (VT) def. Mathieu Froment (UM) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Order of finish: 4,5,1,6,3,2*

Doubles
1. #50 Bonin/Dehn (UM) def. #44 Somen/Tocci (VT) 8-4
2. Arndt/Hamburg (UM) def. Hunter Koontz/Oliveira (VT) 8-5
3. Juan Pablo Ramirez/Toledo (UM) def. Antun/Kujundzic (VT) 8-5
Order of finish: 3,2*,1
*clinching match

For updates on Virginia Tech men's tennis, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_MTennis).