ST. PETER, Minn. — The day may have gotten off to a rather soggy start, but that couldn't keep the Saint Mary's University men's tennis team from making a big splash during the opening day of the ITA Regional and Midwest Open Friday.
 
Brendon Raabolle (Andover, Minn.), Michael Johnson (Hastings, Minn.), and Zak Farley (Sartell, Minn.) all picked up opening-round singles wins at the Midwest Open to lead the way for the Cardinals. With rain forcing matches to be shortened to sets of four, Raabolle opened with a 4-2, 4-1 win over Mac Ness of Concordia, while Johnson also dispatched of a Cobber in his first match, beating Isaiah Soori 4-2, 4-0 for his first win as a Cardinal. Farley had to work a little more to record his first collegiate singles victory, outlasting Saint John's Evan Kostynick 3-5, 5-3, 10-7.
 
Raabolle fell short in his second match of the day, falling to Crown's Andrew Comings, while Johnson suffered a 4-1, 4-0 loss to Loras' Andrew Day and Farley lost to St. Scholastica's Alex Daignault, 4-0, 5-3.
 
Philip Apel (North Oaks, Minn.), Tucker Stene (Fridley, Minn.), Caden Rodning (Mason City, Iowa), Owen Fonder (Green Bay, Wis.), and Matt Besek (Winona, Minn.) weren't as fortunate in their opening-round matches. Apel, Rodning, Fonder, and Besek all dropped straight-set decisions, while Stene rallied from a set down, only to fall in three sets, 4-2, 2-4, 10-3.
 
In the Cardinals' lone singles match in the ITA Regional, Evan Huemoeller (Owatonna, Minn.) came out on the short end of a 6-3, 6-2 decision to Luther's Louk Rijsdijk. Huemoeller then teamed with Raabolle, but were no match for third-seeded Myles Krzewinski/Elios Braind  of Carthage, falling 8-0.
 
Johnson and Farley kicked off doubles play in much the same fashion as they did in singles — with a win, as the tandem cruised to an 8-3 win over Crown's Gabe Gomez/Dawson Richardson. Rodning/Stene lost to Concordia's Logan Sandberg/Kai Pierce 8-0 and Apel-Besek dropped a heartbreaking 8-7 (4) decision in a match in which the Cardinal duo had seven match points, but could not come up with the winner.
 
The weekend-long tournament continues Saturday in St. Peter, Minn.
 
FRIDAY'S RESULTS
ITA Singles
Evan Huemoeller (Owatonna, Minn.) vs. Louk Rijsdijk (Luther), 6-3, 6-2
ITA Doubles
Evan Huemoeller/Brandon Raabolle v. Myles Krzewinski/Elios Braind (Carthage), 8-0
 
Midwest Open Singles
Philip Apel lost to Harry Hawbaker (Coe), 4-2, 4-1
Tucker Stene lost to Caden Nelson (Edgewood), 4-2, 2-4, 10-3
Caden Rodning lost to Daniel Skrade (CC), 5-3, 4-0
Owen Fonder lost to Peter Haryla (Luther), 4-0, 4-0
Michael Johnson def. Isaiah Soori (CC), 4-2, 4-0
Michael Johnson lost to Andrew Day (Loras), 4-1, 4-0
Brandon Raabolle def. Mac Ness (CC), 4-2, 4-1
Brandon Raabolle lost to Andrew Comings (Crown), 7-5, 5-3
Zak Farley def. Evan Kostynick (SJU), 3-5, 5-3, 10-7
Zak Farley lost to Isaac Daignault, 4-0, 5-3
Matt Besek (Winona, Minn.) lost to Henry Condo (Loras), 4-2, 4-2
Midwest Open Doubles
Johnson/Farley beat Gabe Gomez/Dawson Richardson (Crown) 8-3
Apel/Besek v. Dominik Hendrickson/Luca Hettstedt (Stevens Point)
Rodning/Steven lost to Logan Sandberg/Kai Pierce (CC), 8-0