Feb. 1, 2008

LAS VEGAS - The 72nd-ranked UNLV men's tennis team opened its home schedule with a strong 6-1 victory over Southern Mississippi at the Fertitta Tennis Complex on Friday.

The Rebels (1-1) began the morning by taking the top two doubles matches for one team point. At the top position, Elliot Wronski and Wesley Burrows combined for an easy 8-1 victory while Luca Barlocchi and David Campbell teamed up for an 8-4 win at No. 2 to give UNLV a 1-0 overall lead.

In singles play, the Golden Eagles won the first set on four of six courts and eventually pushed four total matches to third sets. Wronski rallied at the top spot, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1, over Andrew Poole, Burrows swept Domagoi Anic at No. 2, 6-2, 6-3 and Barlocchi needed a super-tiebreaker to win his match 1-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-4) at No. 3. Senior David Campbell held off his opponent 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 at No. 4 and freshman Bryan Miller out of Las Vegas got his first career dual match victory, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 at No. 5.

"It was great to get the win in our first home match and the final was a lot closer than the score indicated," UNLV head coach Owen Hambrook said. "I am proud of the way the guys fought back after losing so many first sets and now we have to get ready for a really tough match tomorrow."

UNLV gets right back on the courts when it hosts New Mexico State beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

UNLV MEN'S TENNIS RESULTS#72 UNLV 6, SOUTHERN MISS 1At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas
DOUBLES -- (UNLV EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Wronski/Burrows (UNLV) def. Poole/Wessinghage (USM) 8-12. Barlocchi/Campbell (UNLV) def. Anic/D. Machua (USM) 8-43. Burmeister/O. Machua (USM) def. Miller/Matthew Kunkel (UNLV) 8-6
SINGLES -- (UNLV EARNS FIVE TEAM POINTS)1. Elliot Wronski (UNLV) def. Andrew Poole (USM) 6-7, 6-2, 6-12. Wesley Burrows (UNLV) def. Domagoi Anic (USM) 6-2, 6-33. Luca Barlocchi (UNLV) def. Oscar Machua (USM) 1-6, 7-6, 1-0 (10-4)4. David Campbell (UNLV) def. Strate Krstevski (USM) 7-5, 1-6, 6-35. Bryan Miller (UNLV) def. Jan Burmesiter (USM) 2-6, 6-3, 6-36. Diego Machua (USM) def. Andrew Giuffrida (UNLV) 6-1, 6-4