LOS ANGELES - The UC Irvine men's tennis team dropped a narrow 4-3 decision to Loyola Marymount Sunday at LMU Tennis Center.
 
The Anteaters (4-3) held the early advantage in doubles as Rahul Dhokia and Noah Zamora paired up for a 6-3 victory over Alex Padro Parra/Toky Ranaivo at No. 2. Dhokia, a graduate transfer from Texas A&M, was making his UCI debut. The Lions responded with wins on courts one and three for the 1-0 lead.
 
Zamora was first off the court in singles, tying the team score with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Max Wuelfing at the fourth position.  

It continued to go back-and-forth as Rithvik Krishna was handed his first loss of the dual-match season at No. 3, before Hiroki Sakagawa brought the 'Eaters even again after dispatching Sebastian Nothhaft, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 2.
 
The Lions (4-3) then clinched the match with three-set victories at Nos. 5 and 1. At the fifth spot, Andy Nguyen won his first set but was unable to close it out, falling to Rainaivo, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Enrique Luque Rico also came up just short against Yassine Smiej at the top of the lineup, 2-6, 6-0, 7-6.
 
Ali Amiri played out his match at No. 6 and came from behind to upend Padro Parra, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.
 
UC Irvine returns to the friendly confines of Anteater Tennis Stadium next Sunday, March 3, when it hosts Portland at 11 a.m.