Box Score ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The George Mason University men's tennis team dropped a tight match to a strong Boston University squad by the score of 4-3 on Saturday afternoon in Annapolis.
 
The Patriots got off to a solid start, winning the doubles point by taking two of three matches. Sophomore Monil Lotlikar and junior Niza Simunyola won at the top spot, 6-2, over the BU Robalino/Licea tandem. Mason's premier duo is now an impressive 8-2 at No. 1 so far this dual season.
 
The Green & Gold clinched the point with a 6-4 victory at No. 2 by junior Jacco Arends and graduate student Momin Khan.
 
In singles, BU tied the score at 1-1 with a straight sets win at No. 1. The Terriers took a 2-1 lead with a win at No. 5, before the Patriots battled back to tie it up at 2-2. That point came courtesy of Arends, who picked up a marathon win at No. 2 over Jakob Esterowitz. Arends won the first set 7-6 and took the tiebreaker, 7-4. After Esterowitz battled back to in the second set, Arends dominated the third in 6-1 fashion.
 
Mason took a 3-2 advantage after Simunyola proved dominant at No. 3. He won his first set, 6-2, then took the second, 6-4.
 
At No. 6, sophomore Alvaro Pedraza went three sets with his opponent but could not close out the match, as BU won that contest, as well as No. 4 to pick up the victory. At No. 4, Khan went to a tiebreaker in both sets, but could not capitalize in the end.
 
Next up, the Patriots open A-10 play next weekend in Philadelphia. Mason takes on Saint Joseph's on Friday at 2 p.m., then battles St. Bonaventure Saturday at 11 a.m.
 
RESULTS
Doubles
1) Lotlikar/Simunyola (GMU) def. Robalino/Licea (BU), 6-2
2) Arends/Khan (GMU) def. Sajonz/Esterowitz (BU), 6-4
3) Dickson/Pawlowski (BU) def. Pedraza/Ha (GMU), 6-3
 
Order of Finish: 1,2,3
 
Singles
1) Craig (BU) def. Lotlikar (GMU), 6-1, 6-1
2) Arends (GMU) def. Esterowitz (BU), 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-1
3) Simunyola (GMU) def. Licea (BU), 6-2, 6-4
4) Robalino (BU) def. Khan (GMU), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5)
5) Loutas (BU) def. Fahim (GMU), 6-2, 6-2
6) Letzer (BU) def. Pedraza (GMU), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
 
Order of Finish: 1,5,2,3,6,4