SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College men's tennis team dropped its first Liberty League match of the season on Saturday in a 6-3 defeat to Ithaca College at Sportime Tennis Club.
 
Four different Garnet Chargers earned victories on the day for Union (3-7, 1-1 Liberty League), but some close matches did not go the way of the home team in allowing Ithaca (5-8, 1-0 Liberty League) to emerge with the victory.
 
Union started the day with an 8-3 win at first doubles, as the tandem of senior Dimitris Binopoulos and junior Ben Jacobs used a pair of breaks to defeat Gijs Fidler and Emiliano Pedrero. However, the Bombers came back to win the bottom two flights, posting an 8-4 win at second doubles and then getting a crucial break at 6-6 in an 8-6 third-doubles victory.
 
Ithaca kept the momentum going with three singles wins to clinch the victory. Despite that, senior Khai Ton put forth an excellent effort at sixth singles after dropping the first set in six games, winning the final three games of the second set to stay alive and then taking the final five points of the subsequent supertiebreaker in a 0-6, 6-4, (10-7) win.
 
First-year Daniel Saxe also had a hard-fought win at fourth singles to close out the day, winning five of the final six games of the first set and then closing the third set with three straight games in a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 victory.
 
Union will be back in action tomorrow with another conference match against Hobart College beginning at 10 a.m. at Sportime Tennis Club.