ELON, N.C. - The Cougars' first encounter with CAA competition this season didn't go as hoped Thursday, as the College of Charleston men's tennis team (8-5) fell 5-2 on the road to the Elon Phoenix (7-9).
 
The Cougars surrendered the doubles point by way of a pair of 6-2 losses in the first and third flights. Benedikt Henning and Alec Angradi found more success in the second flight, but they too fell, 7-5.
 
Rodrigo Encinas knotted things up at 1-1 when he dispatched Jacob Bicknell 6-4, 6-2 in the fifth flight of singles play. However, the Phoenix captured the next four points to guarantee the win. Vasily Kichigin started out with a 6-1 win in flight three, but dropped the next two 6-2, 6-4 to Petar Tomic.
 
Henning was the one other Cougar to get in on the scoring, splitting his opening two sets with Salvador Mijares to force a deciding super tiebreak. The German was able to prevail 10-7 to give the Cougars their second and final point of the day.
 
CofC returns home for the next five consecutive matches, beginning with a noon showdown with the Troy Trojans on Saturday for Parents' Weekend.
 
Elon 5, CofC 2
 
SINGLES
Felpe Sarrasague (Elon) def. Juan Estevarena (CofC) ~ 6-2, 6-4
Benedikt Henning (CofC) def. Salvador Mijares (Elon) ~ 6-2, 4-6, 10-7
Petar Tomic (Elon) def. Vasily Kichigin (CofC) ~ 1-6, 6-2, 6-4
Louis Rico (Elon) def. Ryan Khan (CofC) ~ 6-3, 6-3
Rodrigo Encinas (CofC) def. Jacob Bicknell (Elon) ~ 6-4, 6-2
Chris Humphries (Elon) def. Alec Angradi (CofC) ~ 6-2, 7-6(1)
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 6, 1*, 3, 2
 
DOUBLES
Tomic/Humphries (Elon) def. Estevarena/Kichigin (CofC) ~ 6-2
Sarrasague/Foote (Elon) def. Henning/Angradi (CofC) ~ 7-5
Port/Mijares (Elon) def. Encinas/Ramirez Lascurian (CofC) ~ 6-2
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2