Vols’ Singles Comeback Falls Short Against Razorbacks, 4-3

Friday, March 13

Knoxville, TN

5:00 p.m. ET

University of Tennessee

Arkansas

Vols’ Singles Comeback Falls Short Against Razorbacks, 4-3

March 13, 2026 | Men's Tennis

Box Score Photo Gallery

KNOXVILLE, Tenn – The Tennessee men's tennis team's play in singles tied the match at three, although the comeback fell short after Arkansas clinched the match on court two, 4-3.

The Razorbacks started out hot in doubles, leading 2-1 on all doubles courts. Arkansas took court one with a 6-3 triumph. The Vols' tandem of Shion Itsusaki and Ethan Muza started to claw Tennessee back into it, rallying from down 3-1 to lead 5-3. Arkansas ranked pair, No. 28 Connor Smillie and Jakub Vrba only got one back before Itsusaki and Muza clinched on court two, 6-4. The Razorbacks, however, took a 1-0 lead on the match with a 6-3 win on three.

Arkansas was able to add to its lead with a quick win on court three, with Ben Weintraub defeating Dragos Cazacu, 6-2, 6-2. The Vols were able to answer from a two-set winner provided by freshman Shion Itsusaki, which put the match at 2-1 Hogs. Court one was next to finish in favor of Arkansas to push the lead to two.

Alejandro Moreno sparked the comeback after his tiebreaker winner forced a third set. Jan Kobierski followed it up, collecting a three-set triumph on court four, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, against Gabriel Elicha Navas. Boruch Skierkier continued the hot streak on court six, showing toughness after a tiebreaker win in the third set, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4).

The result tied the score at three and the match relied on court two between Tennessee's No. 88 Alejandro Moreno and Arkansas's Lukas Palovic. Moreno went into the third set with momentum after he forced the match to need an extra frame. Palovic found an answer, however, to clinch the contest for Arkansas, 4-3.

FRESHMAN PHENOM
Shion Itsusaki was feeling it against the Razorbacks, going undefeated on the day with a doubles and singles win. Itsusaki started out the day with a ranked doubles win alongside Ethan Muza on court two against No. 28 Connor Smillie and Jakub Vrba, 6-4. The freshman continued to stay hot in singles, winning on court six against Brendan Boland in quick fashion, 6-1, 6-4.

UP NEXT
Tennessee will finish up week four of SEC play on Sunday with a doubleheader against Alabama (11 a.m.) and Mercer (4 p.m.) at Barksdale Stadium.

RESULTS
Doubles
1. Eric Padgham/Ben Weintraub (ARK) def. Dragos Cazacu/Jose Garcia (TENN) 6-3
2. Shion Itsusaki/Ethan Muza (TENN) def. #28 Connor Smillie/Jakub Vrba (ARK) 6-4
3. Brendan Boland/Dmitry Kopilevich (ARK) def. Woodson McMillin/Boruch Skierkier (TENN) 6-3

Order of Finish: 1,2,3

Singles
1. #24 Jakub Vrba (ARK) def. #78 Jose Garcia (TENN) 7-6 (10-8), 6-4
2. Lukas Palovic (ARK) def. #88 Alejandro Moreno (TENN) 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5
3. Ben Weintraub (ARK) def. Dragos Cazacu (TENN) 6-2, 6-2
4. Jan Kobierski (TENN) def. Gabriel Elicha Navas (ARK) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
5. Boruch Skierkier (TENN) def. Dmitry Kopilevich (ARK) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4)
6. Shion Itsusaki (TENN) def. Brendan Boland (ARK) 6-1, 6-4

Order of Finish: 3,6,1,4,5,2

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