Eastern Washington University senior Robert Dula picked up a victory at No. 1 singles, but the Eagles fell to Boise State 6-1 in a non-conference match Monday at the Boas Indoor Tennis Center in Boise, Idaho.
 
The Eagles are now 9-6 on the season, and resume Big Sky Conference competition at home versus Northern Colorado on Sunday (April 2). Boise State improved to 4-16.
 
"There are a lot of things we need to keep working on to get ready for the upcoming conference matches," said head coach Steve Clark, whose team is currently 4-1 in the Big Sky with six league matches left to play.
 
After Eastern dropped the doubles point when BSU picked up 6-4 victories at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, Dula improved to 8-5 at No. 1 singles with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Kyle Butters. Eastern trailed 3-1 in the match at that point and still had a chance to pull out the team victory, but the Broncos picked up three close victories.
 
Eastern's Victor Pereira lost the first set in a tiebreaker at No. 2 singles, then fell in the second set. The reverse occurred at No. 6 singles when EWU's Ricardo Almeida lost the first set and then fell in a tiebreaker in the second set. Boise State closed out the match at No. 3 singles, with Eastern's Scott Paz picking up a victory in the first set.
 
One of EWU's singles losses came at No. 4 when Flavien Raveau had to retire because of a back spasm.
 
"In singles, right off the bat Flavien was on serve playing quite well and then had a back spasm," explained Clark. "So that put us down 0-2 before Robert won at No. 1. We were very close in our next three."
 
Clark felt the match was much closer than the final score indicated, starting with the three doubles matches. Eastern's Wacil Bendjelti and Ricardo Almeida have an impressive 7-1 record together in doubles competition, and it will remain that way after their match was shortened once BSU won the doubles point by picking up wins at No.1 and No. 2.

"We had break points to win the doubles sets at No. 1 and 2, and we were up 6-5 at No. 3," Clark said. "That's one of the reasons I never like to clinch doubles, and we have not done it this year until now. It was too bad Wacil and Ricardo didn't get a chance to either finish or battle in a tiebreaker. So that was close, but unfortunately we came up short."
 

BOISE STATE 6, EASTERN WASHINGTON 1
Eastern Washington (9-6) at Boise State (4-16)
March 27, 2017 
Boise, Idaho (Boas Indoor Tennis Center)
 
Doubles
1. Platzeck/Tran (BSU) def. Pereira/Dula (EWU) 6-4
2. Butters/McDermott (BSU) def. Paz/Raveau (EWU) 6-4
3. Harvey Shackleton/Heslin (BSU) vs. Bendjelti/Almeida (EWU) 5-6 DNF
Order of finish: 2,1
 
Singles
1. Robert Dula (EWU) def. Kyle Butters (BSU) 6-2, 6-3
2. Jack Heslin (BSU) def. Victor Pereira (EWU) 7-6(4), 6-3
3. Brian Tran (BSU) def. Scott Paz (EWU) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
4. Pedro Platzeck (BSU) def. Flavien Raveau (EWU) 6-3, 2-0 retired
5. Morgan Stone (BSU) def. Wacil Bendjelti (EWU) 6-2, 6-3
6. Ryland McDermott (BSU) def. Ricardo Almeida (EWU) 6-3, 7-6(3)
Order of finish: 4,5,1,2,6,3