Feb. 17, 2002
LAS VEGAS - It was d?j? vu all over again for the 59th-ranked UNLV men's tennis team as for the second consecutive season it came back to defeat Colorado to win its own tournament at the Fertitta Tennis Complex Sunday.
The Rebels (2-2) won their spring invitational for the seventh straight year by rallying past the surging Buffaloes (3-1) 4-3 in windy and cool conditions.
CU began the day by winning an intense doubles point by taking two of three matches. After dropping the No. 1 match-up, the Buffs won 9-7 at the third spot and took a 9-8 tiebreaker at No. 2 for the team point.
In singles play, CU took a commanding 3-0 lead by earning straight-set wins at courts three and four. However, Thomas Schneiter put his team on the board with a 6-4, 6-0 win at the No. 1 spot while Andreas Maurer won 6-4, 6-4 at the sixth position. Leslie Eisinga rallied at No. 5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, to tie things before freshman Aviram Salomon used a second-set tiebreaker, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) for the deciding team point.
"I'm real proud of the guys," UNLV head coach Larry Easley said. "It seems like this tournament comes down to the final point every year and fortunately we have come through in that spot for a few years now."
In other action, 72nd-ranked New Mexico State shut out Nevada, Reno to win third place while Utah State won an abbreviated match, 4-1, over Idaho State to claim fifth. Weber State, which had a bye in the losers' bracket Sunday, came in seventh.
The Rebels are idle until hosting Robert Morris College on March 5.
MEN'S TENNIS RESULTS
UNLV SPRING INVITATIONAL
At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
(#59) UNLV 4, COLORADO 3
SINGLES-(UNLV EARNS FOUR TEAM POINTS)1. Thomas Schneiter (UNLV) def. Maciej Dilaj (CU) 6-4, 6-02. Aviram Salomon (UNLV) def. Mirko Jovanovic (CU) 7-5, 7-6 (4)3. Bucky Mink (CU) def. Romain Tug (UNLV) 6-0, 6-34. Justin Hunter (CU) def. Thomas Michaud (UNLV) 6-3, 6-35. Leslie Eisinga (UNLV) def. Bryan Knepper (CU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-46. Andrew Maurer (UNLV) def. Zach Hood (CU) 6-4, 6-4
DOUBLES-(CU EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Schneiter/Maurer (UNLV) def. Dilaj/Mink (CU) 8-22. Hunter/Knepper (CU) def. Tug/Michaud (UNLV) 9-83. Jovanovic/Hood (CU) def. Eisinga/Salomon (UNLV) 9-7
2002 UNLV MEN'S TENNIS INVITATIONAL
FRIDAY
Colorado 7, Weber State 0New Mexico State 5, Utah State 2
Nevada, Reno 7, Idaho State 0UNLV -- BYE
SATURDAY
Utah State 4, Weber State 3Idaho State -- BYE
Colorado 6, New Mexico State 1UNLV 7, Nevada, Reno 0
SUNDAYFIRST PLACE: UNLV 4, Colorado 3THIRD PLACE: New Mexico State 7, Nevada, Reno 0FIFTH PLACE: Utah State 4, Idaho State 1SEVENTH PLACE: Weber State
FINAL 2002 STANDINGS (Tourney Record)
1. UNLV (3-0)2. Colorado (2-1)3. New Mexico State (2-1)4. Nevada, Reno (1-2)5. Utah State (2-1)6. Idaho State (0-2)7. Weber State (0-2)
THIRD-PLACE MATCH
(#72) NEW MEXICO STATE 7, NEVADA, RENO 0
SINGLES-(NMSU EARNS SIX TEAM POINTS)1. Ben Newcombe (NMSU) def. Chad Stoloff (UNR) 7-5, 7-62. Ben Archer-Clowes (NMSU) def. Rudi Leuschner (UNR) 6-4, 6-23. Luis Avila (NMSU) def. Jason Yelley (UNR) 6-2, 6-04. Danilo Zivanovic (NMSU) def. McClure Wallace (UNR) 6-4, 6-35. Dan Even (NMSU) def. Ivan Anderson (UNR) 6-1, 6-16. Jerry Noble (NMSU) def. Brett Bitzer (UNR) 6-2, 6-1
DOUBLES-(NMSU EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Stoloff/Ericsson (UNR) def. Hellwig/Archer-Clowes (NMSU) 8-52. Newcombe/Even (NMSU) def. Yelley/Wallace (UNR) 8-23. Avila/Zivanovic (NMSU) def. Leuschner/Bitzer (UNR) 8-4
FIFTH-PLACE MATCH
UTAH STATE 4, IDAHO STATE 1
SINGLES-(USU EARNS THREE TEAM POINTS)1. Andy Madersbacher (USU) def. Vasico Devidze (ISU) 6-2, 6-12. Jason Trask (USU) def. Hestian Stoica (ISU) 6-3, 7-6 (4)3. Jordan Butler (USU) def. Adam Krupp (ISU) 6-2, 6-24. Butch Stavridis (ISU) def. Sam Harris (USU) 6-4, 6-15. Not Played N/A6. Not Played N/A
DOUBLES-(USU EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Nelson/Thomas (USU) def. Chester/Sadek (ISU) 6-2, 6-32. Not Played N/A3. Not Played N/A
SEVENTH-PLACE MATCH WEBER STATE RECEIVED A BYE
