March 18, 2007
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV men's tennis team defeated a program from the powerful Southeastern Conference for the second time in as many days, this time downing Arkansas 4-3 on an over-heated Sunday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
The Rebels improved to 6-9 while the Razorbacks, who were ranked as high as 30th this season, fell to 6-13.
Fighting through yet another day of record winter desert heat, the teams began by splitting matches at the bottom two doubles courts. UNLV's win came at No. 3 where David Campbell and Slavko Bijelica emerged 8-4. The overall doubles point would come down to the top spot and the Hogs needed a tiebreaker to win it, 9-8 (10-8).
Needing to take four of six singles matches for the team win, the Rebels did just that. At the top position, emerging sophomore star Elliot Wronski picked up his third ranked win in March with a dominating 6-2, 6-2 victory over No. 90 Strode. Also quickly winning for UNLV was Slavko Bijelica, 6-2, 6-2, at the fifth position and senior Brett Hunter, 6-4, 6-1, on court two.
Leading 3-1, the hosts needed just one more point to clinch. However, the Hogs got three-set wins on courts three and four to tie it up. With all eyes on court six for the deciding match for the second straight day, freshman Luca Barlocchi rallied from being down 3-1 in the final set to get past Jorge Villanueva 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 and make UNLV victorious.
"This was quite a battle and a great match to watch today," UNLV head coach Owen Hambrook said. "After losing a closely contested doubles point, my guys came out and fought hard vs. another hard-fighting team. Once again it came down to Luca at No. 6 and the Swiss Wizard found a way to get it done."
The Rebels will close out their home schedule on Tuesday when they take on New Mexico State beginning at noon. The squad's two seniors -- Hunter and Jonathan Hooper -- will be honored before the match.
UNLV MEN'S TENNIS RESULTSUNLV 4, ARKANSAS 3At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas
DOUBLES: (ARK EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Strode/Mascall (ARK) def. Hunter/Wronski (UNLV) 9-8 (8)2. Villanueva/Vlaskin (ARK) def. Burrows/Jonathan Hooper (UNLV) 8-33. Campbell/Bijelica (UNLV) def. Gabriel Mattos/Bradwin Williams (ARK) 8-4
SINGLES: (UNLV EARNS FOUR TEAM POINTS)1. Elliot Wronski (UNLV) def. #90 Blake Strode (ARK) 6-2, 6-22. Brett Hunter (UNLV) def. Andrei Nicoara (ARK) 6-4, 6-13. Colin Mascall (ARK) def. David Campbell (UNLV) 4-6, 6-3, 6-24. Dmitry Lebedev (ARK) def. Wesley Burrows (UNLV) 6-3, 4-6, 6-35. Slavko Bijelica (UNLV) def. Dmitry Vlaskin (ARK) 6-2, 6-26. Luca Barlocchi (UNLV) def. Jorge Villanueva (ARK) 7-6, 3-6, 6-4
