March 5, 2009

LAS VEGAS - The 72nd-ranked UNLV men's tennis team put up a good fight in doubles play but then lost 6-1 to No. 14 Pepperdine at the Fertitta Tennis Complex on Thursday.

The defeat dropped the Rebels to 9-4 on the season while the Waves improved to 10-5.

UNLV's top duo, Elliot Wronski and Luca Barlocchi, led eighth-ranked Omar Altmann and Bassam Beidas before finally falling 9-7 at No. 1. The Rebels also led on court three before the Waves rallied for an 8-6 win there as well.

In singles, Wronski was swept by 43rd-ranked Beidas 6-2, 6-3 at the top spot while star freshman Mehdi Bouras won the first set before losing to No. 39 Altmann on court two, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

UNLV's lone point came at the fifth spot where Attila Toth won a super-tiebreaker over Alex Moreno, 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8).

The Rebels will look to snap their two-match losing skid when they host Fresno State on Saturday beginning with doubles at 2 p.m. Admission is free of charge.

UNLV MEN'S TENNIS RESULTS#14 PEPPERDINE 6, #72 UNLV 1At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas
Singles1. #43 Bassam Beidas (PEPP) def. Elliot Wronski (UNLV) 6-2, 6-32. #39 Omar Altmann (PEPP) def. Mehdi Bouras (UNLV) 4-6, 6-1, 6-33. Alex Llompart (PEPP) def. Luca Barlocchi (UNLV) 6-2, 7-54. Mahmoud Kamel (PEPP) def. Wesley Burrows (UNLV) 6-1, 6-45. Attila Toth (UNLV) def. Alex Moreno (PEPP) 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8)6. Hugh Clarke (PEPP) def. Bryan Miller (UNLV) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles1. #8 Altmann/Beidas (PEPP) def. Wronski/Barlocchi (UNLV) 9-72. Llompart/Clarke (PEPP) def. Miller/Burrows (UNLV) 8-33. Stuart Keplar/Kamel (PEPP) def. Bouras/Toth (UNLV) 8-6