TYLER, Texas – Facing its toughest test of the young season, the No. 24 Harding men's tennis team fell 6-1 to No. 5 UT Tyler on Friday afternoon at the Summers Tennis Center.

The Bisons (4-1) opened the match with a statement in doubles play, but the host Patriots (7-2) flexed their muscles in singles, sweeping all six flights to hand Harding its first defeat of the spring.

Harding began the day with momentum by securing the doubles point against a formidable UT Tyler rotation. The duo of Sebastian De La Salas and Edoardo D'Arrigo notched a signature win at the No. 1 spot, upsetting the 13th-ranked pair of Daniil Felker and Carel Wessel, 6-4. Shortly after, the No. 23-ranked tandem of Florian Gayme and Jan Alexander Has clinched the point for the Bisons with a 6-2 victory over Artiom Dorofeev and Malo Poulesquen.

However, the lead was short-lived as the Patriots' nationally-ranked singles lineup took control. UT Tyler featured three players ranked in the ITA Top 50, all of whom delivered straight-set victories.

No. 10 Malo Poulesquen defeated Cian Mikkelsen 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 2 position, while No. 34 Artiom Dorofeev took down No. 31 Sebastian De La Salas 6-0, 6-3 at the top flight. At No. 3 singles, No. 49 Carel Wessel topped freshman Jan Alexander Has 6-4, 6-2 to end Has's undefeated start to the season.

The Bisons fought to keep the match alive in the bottom half of the order, but UT Tyler proved too deep. Samuel Antwi and Jordi Garcia earned straight-set wins at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. The most competitive battle occurred at the No. 6 spot, where Luis Agullo took Martin Despodov to a tiebreaker in the opening set before being forced to retire due to injury in the second set.

Despite the loss, Harding's performance in doubles marks the first time this season the Patriots have dropped the opening point to a team ranked outside the top 10.

Harding will look to bounce back tomorrow as they remain in Tyler for a neutral-site match against UT Permian Basin. First serve is scheduled for 10:00 a.m.

#5 UT Tyler 6, #24 Harding 1

Feb 20, 2026 at Tyler, Texas (Summers Tennis Center)

Singles Competition

1. #34 Artiom Dorofeev (UTT) def. #31 Sebastian De La Salas (HU) 6-0, 6-3

2. #10 Malo Poulesquen (UTT) def. Cian Mikkelsen (HU) 6-1, 6-1

3. #49 Carel Wessel (UTT) def. Jan Alexander Has (HU) 6-4, 6-2

4. Samuel Antwi (UTT) def. Caleb Folse (HU) 6-3, 6-3

5. Jordi Garcia (UTT) def. Edoardo D'Arrigo (HU) 6-3, 6-0

6. Martin Despodov (UTT) def. Luis Agullo (HU) 7-6, 8-6, retired (inj)

Doubles Competition

1. Sebastian De La Salas/Edoardo D'Arrigo (HU) def. #13 Daniil Felker/Carel Wessel (UTT) 6-4

2. #23 Florian Gayme/Jan Alexander Has (HU) def. Artiom Dorofeev/Malo Poulesquen (UTT) 6-2

3. Job Japelj/Trevor Short (UTT) def. Luis Agullo/Cian Mikkelsen (HU) 6-4

Match Notes Harding 4-1; National ranking #24 UT Tyler 7-2; National ranking #5