ATHENS, Ga. - In a hard-fought match that lasted more than three hours, University of Hawai`i men's tennis player Andreas Weber eventually fell to Arkansas' Blake Strode, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8) in the opening round of the NCAA Singles Championship Wednesday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of Georgia.

Both players earned at-large invitations into the tournament and were closely ranked, with Strode 44th in the latest FILA/ITA rankings and Weber 48th. Weber, the first Rainbow Warrior in program history to earn a bid to the NCAAs, came tantalizing close to advancing with a pair of match points, but it was the sophomore Strode who moved on to the round of 32 after winning the third-set tiebreaker.

"Andy showed a lot character today and I couldn't be more proud of him," head coach John Nelson said. "It was a three-hour match that went back-and-forth and he battled back numerous times. It was an incredible match and I can't say enough about the season he put together, being the WAC Freshman of the Year and the first UH player to qualify for the NCAAs. We're definitely counting on being back next year."

Weber had won his last six matches in straight sets and entered today's competition having won seven of 10 three-set matches for the year. The native of Huenfeld, Germany, concluded his season with a 24-7 overall record.

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