The Case Western Reserve University men's tennis team opened its spring season on Sunday afternoon, suffering a 5-2 setback on the road in Lima, Ohio to the University of Northwestern Ohio, one of the top programs in the NAIA.

The loss dropped the Spartans to 2-1 on the season, while the Racers improved to 6-2.

With NAIA scoring rules in effect for Sunday's match, Northwestern Ohio was able to capture two of the three doubles contests to secure the point. The Spartans struck first, as the no. 1 doubles pairing of junior James Hopper and graduate student Jonathan Powell bested Malik Omarkhanov and Martin Stanchev 6-2. However, at no. 2 doubles, Hugo Car and Marcos Salazar defeated graduate student Anthony Kanam and senior Chaitanya Aduru 6-4, and at no. 3 doubles, Sergio Conde and Nils Messin defeated sophomore Vishwa Aduru and first-year Ansh Shah 6-3.

Northwestern Ohio added to its lead with a win at no. 6 singles, where Messin bested junior Diego Maza 6-4, 6-0. Vishwa Aduru got the Spartans on the board at no. 2 singles, where he defeated Salazar in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. In the fifth-singles match, Powell battled back from a 6-0 loss in the first set to win the next two, 6-2, 6-4, and tie the team score at 2-2.

However, the Racers would claim wins in the remaining three singles matches. In the fourth singles match, Omarkhanov defeated Chaitanya Aduru 7-5, 6-4, Conde claimed a 7-6(6), 7-5 win over Hopper at no. 1 singles, and Stanchev defeated Shah 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 at no. 3 singles.

The Spartans will be back in action next weekend, hosting a pair of matches on Sunday, February 13 at the Mayfield Village Racquet Club. CWRU is scheduled to face Washington & Lee at 9:00 a.m., followed by a 1:00 p.m. contest against Rose-Hulman.