ELSAH, Ill. - Webster University opened its 2019 men's tennis campaign here Saturday afternoon by suffering a hard-fought 8-1 loss to Simpson College at the Hexberg Tennis Center on the Principia College campus.

In Saturday's season opener, Webster junior Riley Muren (O'Fallon, Ill./Illinois-Springfield) picked up the Gorloks lone win at the No. 1 singles spot as he defeated Simpson's Zach Nelson in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, to open the year with a victory. 

Despite Muren picking up the only win, Webster was very competitive as they won a total of 18 games, including senior Charlie McGhee (Waterloo, Ill./Waterloo) winning the first set 6-4 at No. 3 singles over Simpson's Matt Turnley, before being forced to retire due to injury after trailing 4-0 in the second set. 

At No. 2 singles, sophomore Austin Nation (Oklahoma, City, Okla./Purcell) won five games in two sets as he fell 6-4, 6-1 to Simpson's Reade Reiter. 

Five of the six singles players that played on Saturday were returners from last season as freshman Parker Schaefer (Barnhart, Mo./Windsor) was the only newcomer in the line-up as Schaefer played at the No. 6 singles spot. 

In doubles action, Webster had chances to win at both the No. 1 and No. 2 spots as Muren and Nation fell in a tiebreaker, 8-7 (7-5) to Simpson's No. 1 team of Nelson and Reade, while the No. 2 team of McGhee and sophomore Tom Shutzman (St. Louis, Mo./Parkway South) fell 8-6 to Simpson's No. 2 team of Turnley and A.J. Jackson. 

At No. 3 doubles, Schaefer and sophomore Nicolas Andrade (Quito, Ecuador/Francis Howell) fell 8-3 to Brett Dewerff and Peter Walkwitz. 

The Gorloks will next be in action on Friday, March 1 as they face Midway University at 9 p.m. in Owensboro, Ky., as part of the Shawnee State Invitational.