VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Villanova University men's tennis team fell to Butler, 7-0, on Friday afternoon in the team's BIG EAST opener at the Villanova Tennis Complex.
 
In doubles, Will Monahan and Justin Frattarelli dropped the top flight, 6-3. Butler's Patrick Joss and Nicholas Shirley then defeated Kush Anand and Thomas Wakefield, 6-0, to secure the doubles point for the Bulldogs. Cooper Gordon and Trey Fourticq's set went unfinished.
 
In singles competition, all but two Wildcats fell in straight sets. Villanova's third singles, Will Monahan, took the second set against Butlers Nicolas Arts, but narrowly lost a third-set tiebreaker, 6-2, 5-7, 10-8. Frattarelli fell to Aidan William in a similar fashion, taking the first set but ultimately losing, 4-6, 6-4, 10-5.
 
Up next, the Wildcats will face Loyola University Maryland on Sunday (March 16) in Baltimore.
 
Doubles Results
Nicolas Arts/Ranhulniket Konakanchi (Butler) defeated Will Monahan/Justin Frattarelli (Villanova) – 6-3
Cooper Gordon/Trey Fourticq (Villanova) vs. Riccardo Baldi/Arnesh Singh (Butler) – 5-4, UF
Patrick Joss/Nicholas Shirley (Butler) defeated Kush Anand/Thomas Wakefield (Villanova) – 6-0
 
Singles Results
Patrick Joss (Butler) defeated Cooper Gordon (Villanova) – 6-2, 6-3
Riccardo Baldi (Butler) defeated Trey Fourticq (Villanova) – 7-6 (4), 6-4
Nicolas Arts (Butler) defeated Will Monahan (Villanova) – 6-2, 5-7, 10-8
Ranhulniket Konakanchi (Butler) defeated Thomas Wakefield (Villanova) – 6-2, 6-4
Nicholas Shirley (Butler) defeated Kush Anand (Villanova) – 6-4, 6-1
Aidan William (Butler) defeated Justin Frattarelli (Villanova) – 4-6, 6-4, 10-5