MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The 59th-ranked Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders jumped out to an early lead but could not hold on in dropping a 5-2 decision to 12th-ranked and undefeated Alabama Wednesday afternoon at the Racquet Club.
The Blue Raiders (1-6) started strong by winning all three doubles matches to climb the first point, as the 10th-ranked duo of Daniel Klemetz and Kirk Jackson defeated eighth-ranked Stephen Mitchell and Geoff Hiscox, 8-3, at No. 1 to get it started. Trevor Short and Michael Staniak dispensed of UA's Maxim Belski and Brian Isern, 8-3, at No. 3 to claim the point. The final match saw Brandon Allen and Anant Sitaram, making his doubles debut as a Blue Raider, take care of Chris Gostek and William Boyles, 8-6, at No. 2.
Middle Tennessee took a 2-0 lead when the third-ranked Klemetz won 6-4, 6-2, over No. 39 Belski at No. 1, but the Crimson Tide would take the next five singles matches to take the victory.
No. 63 Mitchell took care of 92nd-ranked Jackson at No. 2, 6-3, 6-4, while Gostek and Kuruppu split sets before Kuruppu ran out of gas and dropped a 2-6, 6-4, 0-6 defeat at No. 3. Hiscox and Staniak slugged it out at No. 4, with Gostek winning both sets in tiebreakers to give the Crimson Tide a 3-2 lead.
Christian Broderson defeated Anant Sitaram, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 5, and Michael Ray Pallares finished it off for Alabama (10-0) with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Allan at No. 6.
Middle Tennessee continues its tough road with a 1 p.m. match Sunday at 30th-ranked Mississippi State at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Center. The Blue Raiders return home next Wednesday to face Chattanooga at the Buck Bouldin Tennis Center at 2 p.m.
#12 ALABAMA 5, #59 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 2
SINGLES
1. (3) Daniel Klemetz (MT) def. (39) Maxin Belski (UA), 6-4, 6-2
2. (63) Stephen Mitchell (UA) def. (92) Kirk Jackson (MT), 6-3, 6-4
3. Chris Gostek (UA) def. Rishan Kuruppu (MT), 6-2, 4-6, 6-0
4. Geoff Hiscox (UA) def. Michael Staniak (MT), 7-6, 7-6
5. Christian Broderson (UA) def. Anant Sitaram (MT), 6-1, 6-2
6. Michael Ray Pallares (UA) def. Brandon Allan (MT), 6-3, 6-2
DOUBLES
1. (10) Klemetz-Jackson (MT) def. (8) Mitchell-Hiscox (UA), 8-3
2. Allan-Sitaram (MT) def. Gostek-William Boyles (UA), 8-6
3. Trevor Short-Staniak (MT) def. Belski-Brian Isern (UA), 8-3 
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