NEWARK, N.J. – The Fairleigh Dickinson men's tennis team was edged out by the NJIT Highlanders in a close 4-3 match at the Naimoli Family Sports Complex Saturday afternoon.
 
The Knights (2-4) played a competitive doubles round to start but could not secure a point as the Highlanders (1-3) won all three doubles bouts by no more than two games. Singles play then split an even 3-3, with the match coming down to the final singles bout at the no. 6 spot between FDU's Maciej Autuch and NJIT's Aidar Aidossov.
 
Aidossov prevailed in the first set, 6-2, but Autuch stayed alive by taking the second set 6-4. With all other matches decided by this point, the third set between the two players boiled down to a tiebreaker, where Aidossov gained an advantage and held on for the 7-6 (2) win over Autuch to seal the match.
 
The closest of the three doubles bouts was at the no. 3 position, where senior Ivan Solans Diaz and junior Moric Budinszky took their opponents to a tiebreaker that ended short of victory for FDU, 6-7 (4). Both FDU teams at first (5-7) and second (4-6) doubles ended their respective matches falling by two games.
 
Solans Diaz started out winning the first singles point of the match, defeating George Svensson 6-0, 6-2 at the no. 4 singles position to even the match score at 1-1. Sophomore Mehdi Dhouib and redshirt sophomore Niclas Pietsch then each fell in close three-set battles, with Dhouib at no. 2 edged out 2-6, 6-4, 2-6, and Pietsch ending his bout on the losing end of a 2-6, 6-1, 4-6 score.
 
With NJIT up 3-1, Budinszky wrapped up the next point for FDU at the no. 5 singles spot, winning his match over Samuel Townes 6-3, 7-5. Pukse then kept the Knights alive and tied the match score at 3-3 with the closest duel of the day, overcoming a tough challenge by Abdullah Fouad to win 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), to remain unbeaten in singles play this season at 6-0.
 
FDU hosts its first home match of the season in its next contest, taking on NEC rival St. Francis Brooklyn on Wednesday night at 8 p.m., in an indoor match at the Bogota Racquet Club.
 
BOX SCORE
 
DOUBLES
Tin Dizdarevic/Josh Smith (NJIT) def. Mehdi Dhouib/Niclas Pietsch (FDU), 7-5
Abdulluh Fouad/George Svensson (NJIT) def. Teodors Pukse/Andris Gudins (FDU), 6-4
Samuel Townes/Aidar Aidossov (NJIT) def. Ivan Solans Diaz/Moric Budinszky (FDU, 7-6 (4)
 
SINGLES
Pukse (FDU) def. Fouad (NJIT), 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5)
Dizdarevic (NJIT) def. Dhouib (FDU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
Smith (NJIT) def. Pietsch (FDU), 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
Solans Diaz (FDU) def. Svensson (NJIT), 6-0, 6-2
Budinszky (FDU) def. Townes (NJIT), 6-3, 7-5
Aidossov (NJIT) def. Maciej Autuch (FDU), 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2)