April 7, 2001
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The injury-plagued 36th-ranked UNLV men's tennis team closed out its regular-season schedule with a third consecutive loss to an unranked team, 4-2, playing indoors at Air Force Saturday.
The Rebels, who had never lost to Air Force, fell to 11-9 overall and 2-3 in the Mountain West Conference while the Falcons improved to 16-9 while earning their first-ever league victory and second win over a ranked opponent in program history.
With only five players making the trip, the depleted Rebels began the day by defaulting both the third doubles match and No. 6 singles match. UNLV took the match at No. 1 when Nenad Zivkovic and Thomas Schneiter won 8-4 over Chris and Greg Zielinski. Air Force, however, won the deciding doubles match at the second spot in a tie-breaker, 9-8, to earn one team point.
In singles, UNLV got wins from Schneiter at the second position and Artin Tafazoli at court four to pull even at two apiece. However, Gregor Skorin fell in three sets at the fifth spot and No. 1 player Zivkovic, ranked 56th, was upset by Eric Pittman, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, to give the Falcons the victory. The match at court five did not finish.
The Rebels have three weeks to prepare for the second MWC Championship Tournament, which will be played April 26-28 in Salt Lake City.
UNLV MEN'S TENNIS RESULTS
AIR FORCE 4, UNLV 2
At USAF Indoor Tennis Courts, Colorado Springs, CO
SINGLES--
1. Eric Pittman (AFA) def. Nenad Zivkovic (UNLV) 3-6, 7-5, 6-42. Thomas Schneiter (UNLV) def. Kyle Rainey (AFA) 6-3, 6-13. Chris Zielinski (AFA) def. Gregor Skorin (UNLV) 3-6, 6-3, 3-64. Artin Tafazoli (UNLV) def. Justin Mancinelli (AFA) 6-0, 4-6, 6-25. Leslie Eisinga (UNLV) vs. Doug Fife (AFA) Did Not Finish6. AFA WINS BY DEFAULT Default
DOUBLES--
1. Zivkovic/Schneiter (UNLV) def. C. Zielinski/Greg Zielinski (AFA)8-42. Pittman/Mancinelli (AFA) def. Eisinga/Skorin (UNLV) 9-8 (3)3. AFA WINS BY DEFAULT Default
