WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – William & Mary men's tennis suffered a 5-2 setback to CAA opponent Monmouth on Sunday evening at the Mackesy Tennis Center.
 
The Tribe (3-5) won at the top two singles positions, but Monmouth swept doubles and won three of its four singles victories in straight sets to secure the team triumph.
 
With W&M once again playing without its top player in Oliver Hague, freshman Gur Trakhtenberg picked up his second-straight win at No. 1, downing Monmouth's Mateo Bivol, 6-4, 7-6 (1). Bivol was a First Team All-CAA selection last season, and Trakhtenberg improved to 13-7 in singles action.
 
At No. 2, sophomore Nikita Bortnichek notched his second-straight win as well, this time in three sets. After Alex Martinez Sanz won the opening set, 6-4, Bortnichek rallied to take the second, 6-3. Tied at 5-all, the Tribe sophomore was up, 40-15, in the 11th game of the third set. Martinez Sanz retired to give the Tribe its second singles victory. Bortnichek won his ninth match of the year.
 
Monmouth (11-1) started the match-up with wins at all three doubles spots in close match-ups. Diego Laporta and Jakob Bonnett won in straight-sets at the No. 5 and No. 6 posts, before Adam Hillerby provided the clincher on line four.
 
At No. 3, junior Albert Hansen won the opening set, 6-3, from Louis Keller. The Monmouth player rallied to win the final two sets for the Hawks final victory of the day.
 
Up Next
The Tribe hosts Liberty at 2 p.m. at the Mackesy Tennis Center on Wednesday, March 12.
 
Monmouth 5, William & Mary 2
Singles
No. 1 – Gur Trakhtenberg (W&M) def. Mateo Bivol (Monmouth) – 6-4, 7-6 (1)
No. 2 – Nikita Bortnichek (W&M) def. Alex Martinez Sanz (Monmouth) – 4-6, 6-3, 5-5, retired
No. 3 – Adam Hillerby (Monmouth) def. Sean Joseph (W&M) – 6-2, 6-4
No. 4 – Louis Keller (Monmouth) def. Albert Hansen (W&M) – 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
No. 5 – Diego Laporta (Monmouth) def. Alexander Karman (W&M) – 6-2, 6-3
No. 6 – Jakob Bonnett (Monmouth) def. Raz Katz (W&M) – 6-2, 6-0
Finishing Order: 6, 5, 1, 3*, 4, 2
 
Doubles
No. 1 – Bivol/Martinez Sanz (Monmouth) def. Katz/Bortnichek (W&M) – 7-5
No. 2 – Keller/Laporta (Monmouth) def. Trakhtenberg/Joseph (W&M) – 6-4
No. 3 – Hillerby/Bonnett (Monmouth) def. Karman/Hansen (W&M) – 7-5
Finishing Order: 2, 1*, 3