Feb. 11, 2007

MALIBU, Calif. - The 74th-ranked UNLV men's tennis team shocked defending national champion Pepperdine by winning the doubles point but the 10th-ranked Waves came back in singles to secure a 5-2 victory at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center on Sunday.

The Rebels fell to 2-4 overall while Pepperdine improved to 6-1. Although UNLV dropped a close match at the top doubles spot, 8-6, the Rebels earned the team point with victories by Brett Hunter and Elliot Wronski, 8-6 at No. 2, and Wesley Burrows and Jonathan Hooper, 8-5 on court three.

UNLV could not carry its momentum into singles play, however, as only Hunter earned a win for the visitors, 6-4, 6-7, 1-0 (10-8) over Richard Johnson at No. 2.

"We got another great effort in doubles today," UNLV head coach Owen Hambrook said. "It was a great experience to play the NCAA champions at their place and matches like this are only going to make us better later in the season."

The Rebels next host Fresno State on Friday beginning at 10 a.m.

UNLV MEN'S TENNIS RESULTS#10 PEPPERDINE 5, #74 UNLV 2At Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center, Malibu, CA
DOUBLES: (UNLV EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Altmann/Johnson (PEP) def. David Campbell/Bijelica (UNLV) 8-62. Hunter/Wronski (UNLV) def. Begemann/Kamel (PEP) 8-63. Burrows/Hooper (UNLV) def. Beidas/Lemke (PEP) 8-5
SINGLES: (PEP EARNS FIVE TEAM POINTS)1. #33 Andre Begemann (PEP) def. Elliot Wronski (UNLV) 6-2, 6-02. Brett Hunter (UNLV) def. Richard Johnson (PEP) 6-4, 6-7, 1-0 (10-8)3. James Lemke (PEP) def. Jonathan Hooper (UNLV) 6-2, 6-04. Bassam Beidas (PEP) def. Wesley Burrows (UNLV) 7-5, 7-55. Omar Altmann (PEP) def. Slavko Bijelica (UNLV) 6-1, 6-26. Mahmoud Kamel (PEP) def. Luca Barlocchi (UNLV) 6-0, 6-3