Last year, when the Albert Lea High School boys’ tennis team ended a losing streak that dated back four seasons, the opponent was Fairmont.

So it was no surprise the Tigers made it two in a row over the Cardinals with a 5-2 victory on the Southwest Middle School courts Monday.

&uot;We’re happy with the outcome &045; a win is a win,&uot; said Tigers coach Sean Gillam. &uot;We need to use this as momentum against (Mankato) West.&uot;

The Tigers came within a few games of shutting out Fairmont for the second year in row, dropping one close match at singles and one at doubles.

Adam Luebke topped the singles with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph at No. 1. Conner Keyeski won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2, and Andrew Dyrdal rallied at No. 3 to win 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. Dyrdal trailed 4-1 in the third set. Kurtis Bohrnstedt lost 6-4, 6-4 at No. 3 singles.

Stephen Thorn and Greg Peterson pulled out a 7-4 second-set tiebreaker for a straight-set win at No. 1 doubles. They took the first set 6-2. Micah Holt and Corey Dieser prevailed 6-2, 7-5 at No. 2. Eric Hutchison and Dustin Trail teamed for the first time at No. 3 doubles and lost 6-4, 7-5.

&uot;It’s good to see our singles players starting to come to the net,&uot; said Gillam. &uot;But we’ve got to get to that point against the Big Nine teams. Our doubles played strongly at times, not too strongly at other times. All in all, Fairmont has improved a lot since we beat them 7-0 last year.&uot;

Albert Lea dominated the junior varsity matches, winning nine of 13.

The Tigers host Mankato West in a Big Nine meet today.