FAIRFIELD, CT – Javier Melendez (Cayey, PR/Colegio La Merced) forced a third set in his No. 2 singles match, but the Rider University men's tennis team fell to MAAC foe Fairfield, 7-0, Wednesday afternoon. With the loss, the Broncs slip to 1-4 (0-1 MAAC), while the Stags are now 1-0 (1-0 MAAC).
 
Fairfield won each of the three doubles flights by 6-1 or 6-2 scores to take a 1-0 lead in the match. After falling in the first set to Lewis Edwards, 6-4, Melendez bounced back to force a third set with a 6-3 victory. But Edwards took the match with a 6-2 win in the third set.
 
Lysander Payano Almonte (New Brunswick, NJ/Colegio Quusquey/Rockland C.C.) also had a strong showing at No. 1, but fell to Brad Orban, 6-5, 6-3. The Stags took the remaining singles flights in straight sets.
 
Rider returns to action Sunday, when they play host to Quinnipiac. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Fairfield 7, Rider 0
 Singles competition
1. Orban, Brad (FFD) def. Payano Almonte, L. (RID-M) 6-5, 6-3
2. Edwards, Lewis (FFD) def. Melendez, Javier (RID-M) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
3. Rodgers, Jeffrey (FFD) def. Delgado, Diego (RID-M) 6-1, 6-2
4. Caputo, Anthony (FFD) def. Van Herwarde, Jeremy (RID-M) 6-3, 6-3
5. Ammon, Ethan (FFD) def. Gildea, Brandon (RID-M) 6-1, 6-3
6. Appel, Dylan (FFD) def. Clark, Griffin (RID-M) 6-0, 6-3
 
 Doubles competition
1. Edwards, Lewis/Orban, Brad (FFD) def. Payano Almonte, L./Clark, Griffin (RID-M) 6-1
2. Caputo, Anthony/Shibles, Tyler (FFD) def. Delgado, Diego/Van Herwarde, Jeremy (RID-M) 6-2
3. Rodgers, Jeffrey/Townsend Font, W. (FFD) def. Melendez, Javier/Gildea, Brandon (RID-M) 6-1
 
Match Notes:
Rider 0-3
Fairfield 1-0
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,1,2,5,4,6)
T-3:28  A-28