MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University's No. 1-ranked men's tennis team's 41-match win streak came to an end Tuesday in a 6-3 loss to No. 3 West Florida at Buccaneer Tennis Center.
In front of the largest crowd of the season, the Buccaneers lost for the first time since the end of the 2012 season after a 12-1 start this year. West Florida improved to 12-0.
The Buccaneers led 2-1 after doubles, picking up wins at the top two flights. Ollie Lemaitre and Ahmed Triki beat Bruno Savi and Tony Rajaobelina, 9-7, at No. 1 pairs. Leo Vivas and Romain Costamagna topped Alex Peyrot and Felipe Frattini, 8-3, at No. 2.
But the Bucs fell at No. 3 doubles when Fabian Groetsch and Renato Lombardi dropped their match to Elio Latella and Domenico Sano, 8-6.
The Bucs won the opening set in three of the six singles matches to keep the momentum on their side in the chase for the fifth team point. But West Florida knotted the match at 2-2 when Rajaobelina defeated Nico Dreer, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 3 in the first singles match to finish.
Barry's 41st-ranked Kevin Sielmann tied the match at 3-3 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Douglas Boe at No. 6 singles. The Argos' 16th-ranked Kenny Brasil defeated Costamagna, 6-4, 7-5, at No. 4 to lift the Argos in front, 3-2, earlier.
West Florida reclaimed the lead when 24th-ranked Peyrot bounced back after losing the first set to beat 12th-ranked Groetsch 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 2. The Argos clinched the match when 26th-ranked Frattini beat 37th-ranked Vivas in three sets, 3-6, 7-5, 6-0, at No. 5.
Savi, the No. 1-ranked player in the country, needed three sets to beat Triki, who is 19th in the South Region, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, at No. 1 singles.
It was Barry's first loss since May 6, 2012 when the Buccaneers ended the season in the NCAA South Region Championship.