SMU men’s tennis dropped a 4-2 road match at Clemson, despite singles wins from Alex Finkelstein and Noah McDonald, and now turns to Rice.
SMU men’s tennis came up short on the road Saturday, falling 4-2 to Clemson in a tightly contested ACC matchup that featured weather delays, a venue change, and a few bright spots for the Mustangs.
The No. 31 Mustangs are now 17-10 overall and 7-5 in ACC play after splitting their two-match road trip.
SMU men’s tennis showed resilience throughout the afternoon, but Clemson did just enough in doubles and the middle of singles play to protect home court.
The match began outside before rain and lightning forced play indoors during singles, creating another wrinkle in a day that already carried plenty of pressure.
Clemson grabbed the early advantage by securing the doubles point with wins on courts one and two, putting SMU in catch-up mode the rest of the way.
In singles, Noah McDonald helped keep the Mustangs alive with a straight-set win over Nathan Pitts.
The result pushed McDonald to 11 spring singles victories and gave SMU a much-needed response after Clemson extended its lead.
Alex Finkelstein added another strong performance of his own, beating Marko Mesarovic in straight sets for his eighth singles win of the season.
Even more impressive, it marked Finkelstein’s fifth straight-set victory this year.
Those wins gave SMU a real chance to swing the match, but Clemson closed the door by taking courts five and one.
That proved decisive, especially in a lineup battle that featured several momentum shifts and one unfinished singles contest.
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Even in defeat, there were encouraging signs for the Mustangs. McDonald and Finkelstein both continue to play strong tennis at an important point in the season, and SMU remains in solid shape as postseason positioning starts to come into focus.
Now the attention quickly turns to the next challenge. The Mustangs will travel to Houston on Wednesday for a matchup against No. 57 Rice, looking to bounce back and build more momentum before the stretch run.
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