By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
ST. PETER, Minn. — Saint Mary's University of Minnesota's Bobby Tiedemann (Euclid, Minn.) kicked off the ITA Regional in winning fashion Friday morning — but it certainly wasn't easy.
 
Tiedemann was extended to a third set in his opening match of the ITA Regional, before outlasting Coe's Peter Kioda 6-4, 1-6, 6-2.
 
Unfortunately for coach Jeff Halberg, that would be the highlight for the Cardinals, as Tiedemann and Trevor Smiley (Minnetonka, Minn.) fell short in their opening ITA doubles match, dropping an 8-6 match to Luther, the remainder of the SMU squad came up empty at Friday's Midwest Open — also hosted by Gustavus.
 
Gabe Graves (Littleton, Colo.) opened with a 6-2 win over Macalester's Alex Hamann, but dropped the next two sets 6-4, 10-7 in his opening-round match, while Alec Rudh (Hastings, Minn.) fell to Grinnell's Nick Alex 6-4, 7-5
 
Nolan Smiley (Minnetonka, Minn.), Connor Roop (La Crosse, Wis.), Brandon Kurilla (Hastings, Minn.), Trevor Smiley (Minnetonka, Minn.), and Brandon Johnson (St. James, Minn.) — all making their collegiate debuts — came up empty in their opening-round singles matches.
 
Nolan Smiley lost his first collegiate match, dropping a 6-0, 6-1 decision to George Kaslow of Grinnell, while Roop dropped in his Cardinal debut, ,falling to UW-Eau Claire's Collin Sebring 6-1, 6-2. Kurilla fell short against UW-Eau Claire's Matt Gilbert 6-2, 7-5 in his collegiate debut; Trevor Smiley fell short against Bethel's Nick Knudsen, losing 7-5, 6-2; and Johnson lost his first match as a Cardinal, falling to Coe's Will Rizer 6-1, 6-0
 
Things did not go much better in doubles action, as Nolan Smiley-Kurilla fell to Coe 8-0, Rudh-Graves lost to UW-Eau Claire 8-4, Roop-Johnson dropped an 8-1 decision to Coe, and
 
 
Tournament play continues on Saturday in St. Peter, Minn.