March 22, 2005
LAS VEGAS - The 42nd-ranked UNLV men's tennis team closed out its 2005 home schedule with a solid 5-2 non-conference win over No. 71 Arkansas at the Fertitta Tennis Complex Tuesday.
The Rebels improved to 12-4 overall and finished with their best home record -- 10-1 -- since posting the same mark in 1997. UNLV is now 19-3 at home in the two seasons since head coach Owen Hambrook took over. The Razorbacks, out of the powerful Southeastern Conference, fell to 2-9.
In what was the final home match for two much-decorated seniors, Henner Nehles and Aviram Salomon, UNLV continued to play well in doubles by winning two of three matches for one team point. Coming through for the hosts were Jonathan Hooper and Martin Redelinghuys at No. 3 and Nehles and Sean Hubbard, who gutted out a 9-8 tiebreaker win to clinch it at No. 2.
Moving to singles play, Hooper made quick work of Andrei Nicoara on court six, 6-3, 6-2, before Nehles dusted off 57th-ranked Rojan Gajjar at the top spot, 6-4, 6-4. The win improved the big German to 20-8 on the year and 43-20 in his college career.
With the score now 3-0, Romain Massaro clinched the team victory by sweeping Jimmy Khougassian at No. 4, 7-6, 6-2. Arkansas would then win the next two matches via super-tiebreakers. At the second position, Salomon, who had been out of action since February 5 with a knee injury, came out strong before falling to Adrians Zguns 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-3). Matt Roberts notched the visitors' other point with a 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-6) win over Joel Kielbowicz at No. 3. Rebel freshman David Campbell then ended the day with a 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 win over Imraan Ismail on court five.
"This was a nice win for a tired team," Hambrook said. "It was great to see Avi back in action but it was also sad to know that it was his and Henner's final home match at UNLV. They both had outstanding college careers and will be hard to replace. Now we'll regroup, get some rest, heal some wounds and get ready for a tough conference stretch."
UNLV is off until opening Mountain West play vs. BYU in San Diego on April 1. That meeting begins a stretch of four matches in four days for the Rebels.
UNLV MEN'S TENNIS RESULTS#42 UNLV 5, #71 ARKANSAS 2At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas
DOUBLES: (UNLV EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Zguns/Gajjar (UA) def. Campbell/Kielbowicz (UNLV) 8-42. Nehles/Sean Hubbard (UNLV) def. Roberts/Ismail (UA) 9-8 (3)3. Redelinghuys/Hooper (UNLV) def. Talley Parker/Nicoara (UA) 8-3ORDER OF FINISH: 3, 1, 2
SINGLES: (UNLV EARNS FOUR TEAM POINTS)1. Henner Nehles (UNLV) def. #57 Rohan Gajjar (UA) 6-4, 6-42. Adrians Zguns (UA) def. Aviram Salomon (UNLV) 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-3)3. Matt Roberts (UA) def. Joel Kielbowicz (UNLV) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-6)4. Romain Massaro (UNLV) def. Jimmy Khougassian (UA) 7-6 (6), 6-25. David Campbell (UNLV) def. Imraan Ismail (UA) 5-7, 6-1, 6-36. Jonathan Hooper (UNLV) def. Andrei Nicoara (UA) 6-3, 6-2ORDER OF FINISH: 6, 1, 4, 2, 3, 5
