Feb. 8, 2009

LAS VEGAS - After bolting to its best start in two decades, the 72nd-ranked UNLV men's tennis team lost its second straight match by the score of 4-3, this time to Southern Mississippi on Sunday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

The Rebels dropped to 5-2.

The visitors opened the day by taking two of three doubles matches for one team point. UNLV's only triumph came on court three where Mehdi Bouras and Bryan Miller combined to win 8-3.

In singles play, the top half of the lineup finished quickly. Luca Barlocchi won 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2 to tie things before 99th-ranked Patricio Alvarado snapped No. 111 Elliot Wronski's nine-match winning streak with a 6-4, 6-2 victory at the top position. Bouras then won his match at No. 2 by the score of 6-2, 6-4.

The other three matches went the distance and USM took two of them. Atilla Toth lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 at No. 6 but Wesley Burrows retied the match with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 4. The day would be decided on court five and Miller ultimately fell to Strate Krstevski 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.

UNLV will look to get back on track when it hosts No. 68 UC Irvine on Friday starting with doubles at 10 a.m. Admission is free of charge.

UNLV MEN'S TENNIS RESULTSSOUTHERN MISS 4, #72 UNLV 3At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas
DOUBLES -- (USM EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Poole/Jan Burmeister (USM) def. Wronski/Barlocchi (UNLV) 8-42. O. Machuca/Alvarado (USM) def. Burrows/Toth (UNLV) 9-73. Miller/Bouras (UNLV) def. Krstevski/Markus Wessinghage (USM) 8-3
SINGLES -- (USM EARNS THREE TEAM POINTS)1. #99 Patricio Alvarado (USM) def. #111 Elliot Wronski (UNLV) 6-4, 6-22. Mehdi Bouras (UNLV) def. Andrew Poole (USM) 6-2, 6-43. Luca Barlocchi (UNLV) def. Domagoj Anic (USM) 6-1, 6-34. Wesley Burrows (UNLV) def. Diego Machuca (USM) 4-6, 6-4, 6-35. Strate Krstevski (USM) def. Bryan Miller (UNLV) 3-6, 7-6, 6-46. Oscar Machuca (USM) def. Attila Toth (UNLV) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2