March 26, 2002

LAS VEGAS - The No. 18-ranked Auburn men's tennis team lost the first set on five of six courts but mounted a furious rally to get by unranked host UNLV at the Fertitta Tennis Complex Tuesday.

The Rebels fell to 7-7 overall and 6-2 at home while the Tigers improved to 10-4.

Auburn began the day by sweeping three doubles matches for one team point. In singles play, though, UNLV stormed out of the gates in search of the major upset.

Rebel Aviram Salomon was the first to finish as he downed 82nd-ranked Andrew Colombo at the third position, 7-6, 6-2, to even the team score at one.

The Tigers, however, suddenly woke up.

At the top spot, 67th-ranked Thomas Schneiter was leading No. 18 Rameez Junaid in the second set but lost in a tiebreaker and let the match get away, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4. The loss snapped the senior's 10-match winning streak. That Auburn comeback was typical of the day as the Tigers won five three-set matches in all.

UNLV moves into Mountain West Conference play this weekend by hosting three league opponents, beginning with Air Force on Friday.

MEN'S TENNIS RESULTS
(#18) AUBURN 6, UNLV 1
At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas, NV
SINGLES-(AU EARNS FIVE TEAM POINTS)1. (19) Rameez Junaid (AU) def. (68) Thomas Schneiter (UNLV) 2-6, 7-6, 6-42. (34) Tiago Ruffoni (AU) def. Romain Tug (UNLV)  4-6, 6-2, 6-43. Aviram Salomon (UNLV) def. (82) Andrew Colombo (AU) 7-6, 6-24. Mark Kovacs (AU) def. Thomas Michaud (UNLV)         6-2, 6-7, 6-15. Estevam Strecker (AU) def. Leslie Eisinga (UNLV)    3-6, 6-3, 6-46. Andreas Boz (AU) def. Andreas Maurer (UNLV)         2-6, 6-3, 6-3
DOUBLES-(AU EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Junaid/Ruffoni (AU) def. Eisinga/Michaud (UNLV)  8-22. Colombo/Kovacs (AU) def. Schneiter/Maurer (UNLV) 8-33. Strecker/Boz (AU) def. Salomon/Tug (UNLV)        8-5