EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ men's tennis team opened its dual match season in style, upsetting Division I Lafayette in a 5-4 thriller inside the Rec Center on Sunday night.

Derek Jordan's straight-sets triumph at No. 6 singles broke a 4-4 stalemate and lifted the Lions past the Leopards for the second time in as many seasons. Last year, it was Nick Matkiwsky providing the clinching point at No. 4 singles in a 4-3 decision.

This year's circumstances were strikingly different. A year ago, TCNJ swept doubles play (though it only counted for one point, per Division I rules). This time around, the Lions found themselves in a 2-1 hole after Arman Ganchi and Jake Magnusson eked out an 8-7 (5) tiebreaker against Matthew Michibata and Harrison Maitland-Carter on the No. 1 court.

Matkiwsky and Akul Telluri picked up an 8-5 victory at No. 2 doubles for TCNJ.

Michibata took the first set from Ganchi at No. 1 singles, but Lafayette's top man rallied to snatch a 10-5 super breaker to extend the Leopards' lead to 3-1.

The Lions roared back with three straight wins, all in straight sets and all featuring a first-set tiebreak. Adrian Tsui downed Magnusson by a 7-6 (3), 6-1 decision at No. 2 and Nikola Kilibarda leveled the match with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 defeat of Nick McKenzie at No. 4. The victory gave Kilibarda an even 50 for his career.

Maitland-Carter then broke the deadlock with a tight 7-6 (5), 7-5 win over Nash Lovallo at No. 3 singles before Lafayatte's Josh Wolfe outlasted Alberto Thomas in a 10-7 super breaker at No. 5.

It all came down to the sixth and final singles court, and Jordan had little trouble with Sam Gelber en route to a 6-1, 6-4 win.

The Lions have their first Division III dual of the season on tap for Saturday when Union comes to the Rec Center.