April 10, 2004

LAS VEGAS - Competing without its top player, the 70th-ranked UNLV men's tennis team was defeated 5-2 by No. 67 New Mexico at the UNM Tennis Club Saturday.

The Rebels had their three-match winning streak snapped en route to falling to 11-6 overall and 2-1 in the Mountain West Conference. The Lobos improved to 11-5 and took over the league lead with a 2-0 record.

UNLV was forced to make major changes because of the loss of 74th-ranked All-America candidate Henner Nehles, who sat out because of an injury.

UNM began the day by sweeping three doubles matches for one team point.

With nearly every player moving up a position in the reshuffled lineup, UNLV fell behind 4-0 before taking two of the three three-set matches.

Winning for the Rebels was David DiMartino at No. 5, 0-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7) and Marko Blagojevic on Court Six, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 over Jasmin Hodzic.

UNLV will close its regular-season schedule Sunday with a match vs. Air Force in Albuquerque.

UNLV MEN'S TENNIS RESULTS#67 NEW MEXICO 5, #70 UNLV 2At UNM Tennis Club, Albuquerque, NM

DOUBLES: (UNM WINS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Stotland/Kowalski (UNM) def. Salomon/Kielbowicz (UNLV) 9-82. Coetzee/Akhavan (UNM) def. Massaro/Margulis (UNLV) 8-03. Hodzic/Gers (UNM) def. DiMartino/Blagojevic (UNLV) 9-7
SINGLES: (UNM WINS FOUR TEAM POINTS)1. #27 Divan Coetzee (UNM) def. #125 Aviram Salomon (UNLV) 6-0, 6-12. David Kowalski (UNM) def. Romain Massaro (UNLV) 7-6, 5-7, 1-0 (10-5)3. Ryan Stotland (UNM) def. Joel Kielbowicz (UNLV) 6-4, 6-34. David DiMartino (UNLV) def. Henry Gers (UNM) 0-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7)5. Hiroud Akhavan (UNM) def. Sean Margulis (UNLV) 6-0, 6-26. Marko Blagojevic (UNLV) def. Jasmin Hodzic (UNM) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2