May 27, 1998

ATHENS, Ga. - UNLV junior Asaf Tishler was eliminated with a straight-set loss in the first round of the NCAA Singles Championship Wednesday.

Tishler, ranked 41st, fell to 16th-ranked Steven Baldas of Georgia, 6-3, 6-3, in what was Tishler's first post-season tournament.

Baldas, a senior playing on his home court at the Dan Magill Tennis Center, prevailed in what was his fifth-consecutive day of singles after competing in the team championship earlier in the week.

"I am happy and tired," Baldas said. "(Asaf) was hard to close out. He is a solid baseliner. I knew walking out there today that this could be my last match as a Georgia Bulldog and that was all the motivation I needed."

Baldas now faces fifth-seeded Thomas Dupre of Mississippi State.

Tishler, who was the top-ranked player in his region, finished the season at 22-13 overall.