Feb. 25, 2007

LAS VEGAS - For the second straight day, the 39th-ranked UNLV women's tennis team won the doubles point but could not continue that momentum in singles play, this time losing 5-2 to No. 31 Florida International at the Fertitta Tennis Complex on Sunday.

The Lady Rebels fell to 7-2 while the Golden Panthers improved to 6-2.

The morning began with the hosts taking two of three doubles matches to earn a 1-0 lead. The 26th-ranked duo of Elena Gantcheva and Kristina Nedeltcheva downed their opponent 8-3 at the top spot, while Nikol Dimitrova and Linda Tempelfelde won their match by the same score at No. 2.

Just needing a split in singles, UNLV won the first set on three of six courts. However, only Nedeltcheva, ranked 85th nationally, closed out her opponent, sweeping Marijana Cutuk 6-0, 6-4 on court two to improve to 10-3.

FIU would go on to win all three three-set matches, including Egle Petrauskaite rallying past Gantcheva 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 at the No. 1 position, which handed the 2006 All-American a rare loss to an unranked opponent.

UNLV is next in action when it hosts Furman on March 2 beginning at 10 a.m.

UNLV WOMEN'S TENNIS RESULTS#31 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 5, #39 UNLV 2At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas
DOUBLES: (UNLV EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. #26 Gantcheva/Nedeltcheva (UNLV) def. Petrauskaite/Castillo (FIU) 8-32. Dimitrova/Tempelfelde (UNLV) def. Fountain/Cutuk (FIU) 8-33. D'Armas/Pazo (FIU) def. #56 Razina/Smith (UNLV) 8-2
SINGLES: (FIU EARNS FIVE TEAM POINTS)1. Egle Petrauskaite (FIU) def. Elena Gantcheva (UNLV) 5-7, 7-5, 6-22. #85 Kristina Nedeltcheva (UNLV) def. Marijana Cutuk (FIU) 6-0, 6-43. Shilla D'Armas (FIU) def. Nikol Dimitrova (UNLV) 6-2, 6-14. Priscilla Castillo (FIU) def. Claire Smith (UNLV) 6-2, 6-05. Maria Pazo (FIU) def. Linda Tempelfelde (UNLV) 6-3, 2-6, 6-46. Nikkita Fountain (FIU) def. Alisa Razina (UNLV) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1