MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Senior Fernando Bulnes earned a three-set singles victory over the 2025 Conference USA Player of the Year, but the Eastern Kentucky University men's tennis team dropped a 6-1 decision to Middle Tennessee on Friday afternoon at the Adams Tennis Complex.
 
With the loss, EKU falls to 2-4 on the 2026 spring season, snapping a two-match winning streak.
 
Bulnes picked up one of the highest-rated wins of his collegiate career, defeating Middle Tennessee's Karim Al-Amin in a third-set tiebreak, 5-7, 6-3, 10-6, on court two. The senior from Badajoz, Spain, improves to 2-1 in singles play this season with the victory.
 
Middle Tennessee secured the doubles point with wins on courts two and three by scores of 6-1 and 6-2. EKU's top doubles team of Nuno Pinheiro and Ilie Cazac was locked in a battle with Ondrej Horak and Al-Amin, the No. 18-ranked doubles pair in the nation, but the match went unfinished with EKU trailing 5-4.
 
The Blue Raiders (5-0), who have appeared in six consecutive NCAA Tournaments and have captured the Conference USA Championship every season since 2020, went on to clinch the match by winning five of six singles courts, all in straight sets.
 
EKU returns to action on Thursday, Jan. 29, traveling to face Tennessee. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.
 
Middle Tennessee 6, EKU 1
 
Doubles
1. #18 Karim Al-Amin/Ondrej Horak (MTSU) vs. Nuno Pinheiro/Ilie Cazac (EKU) 5-4, unf.
2. Eric Crivei/Jonasz Dziopak (MTSU) def. Fernando Bulnes/Joao Barreto (EKU) 6-1
3. Rich LaLance/Antoine Mayoral (MTSU) def. Adrian Contreras/Kartik Parhar (EKU) 6-2
 
Order of Finish: 2,3
 
Singles
1. Ondrej Horak (MTSU) def. Nuno Pinheiro (EKU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Fernando Bulnes (EKU) def. Karim Al-Amin (MTSU) 5-7, 6-3, 10-6
3. Jonasz Dziopak (MTSU) def. Joao Barreto (EKU) 6-2, 6-4
4. Birtan Duran (MTSU) def. Ilie Cazac (EKU) 6-1, 6-4
5. Freddy Murray (MTSU) def. Adrian Contreras (EKU) 6-0, 6-0
6. Santiago Lora (MTSU) def. Pepe Miralles (EKU) 6-0, 6-2
 
Order of Finish: 1,6,5,4,3,2