The sixth-ranked Middlebury men's tennis team battled eighth-ranked Williams to the final point but fell 5-4 in a back-and-forth match on Saturday at the Proctor Tennis Courts. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Panthers jumped out to a 1-0 edge when the tandem of Robby Ward and Neel Epstein tallied an 8-6 triumph in the top doubles spot.
• The Ephs posted identical 8-5 victories at #2 and #3 to take a 2-1 advantage into singles action.
• In singles competition, Middlebury grabbed a 3-2 lead with straight-set wins from Epstein at #4 (6-4, 6-0) and Noah Lewis in the sixth slot (6-0, 6-4).
• Williams knotted the contest at 3-3 with a three-set triumph at #1, before moving into the lead (4-3) with a tight victory at #3. 
• Aidan Harris leveled the match with a 6-4, 6-3 win at #5.
• The Ephs clinched the match in the last match remaining on the courts with a straight-set victory at #2 for the final 5-4 score.

NOTES

• Epstein extended his singles winning streak to eight straight with his win on Saturday.
• The programs played for the 62nd meeting in the all-time series.

The Panthers return to action next Sunday with a 2:00 p.m. road contest at Connecticut College.