April 24, 2009

ALBUQUERQUE - The sixth-seeded UNLV men's tennis team saw its run at the Mountain West Conference Championship end with a closer-than-it sounds 4-1 semifinal defeat at the hands of host New Mexico on Friday at the Jerry Cline Tennis Center.

The Rebels, who had downed top-50 teams in consecutive matches, ended their season with a record of 14-12 while the second-seeded and 43rd-ranked Lobos advanced to Saturday's league title match vs. TCU.

UNM opened the afternoon by cruising to the doubles point with 8-3 victories on both of the top two courts. In singles play, each team got a quick, straight-set victory to make it 2-1 in favor of the Lobos.

UNLV's point came from Wesley Burrows on court three as the senior downed Miles Bugby 6-3, 6-3. The Rebels were very much in the hunt for the upset after winning the first set on three other courts while a fourth also split sets. However, UNM players won the first two that were completed, which ended the match.

Freshman Attila Toth was just two games away from winning his match at the fifth spot when action was halted. The team's only other senior, Elliot Wronski, ended his fine collegiate career by falling 6-2, 6-2 to 2009 MWC Player of the Year Johnny Parkes at the top position.

"It was very disappointing to lose a match like this that we were in a position to win," said UNLV head coach Owen Hambrook. "It was a sad way to end for our two seniors - Elliot and Wes - who had such great careers here. We look forward to next season and especially hosting the Mountain West tournament at the Fertitta Tennis Complex."

2009 MWC MEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINAL(2) #43 New Mexico 4, (6) UNLV 1April 24, 2009, at Albuquerque, N.M.Jerry Cline Tennis Center
Singles1. #79 Johnny Parkes (UNM) def. Elliot Wronski (UNLV) 6-2, 6-22. Graeme Kassautzki (UNM) def. Mehdi Bouras (UNLV) 6-7, 7-6, 6-23. Wesley Burrows (UNLV) def. Miles Bugby (UNM) 6-3, 6-34. Luca Barlocchi (UNLV) vs. Ben Dunbar (UNM) 7-6, 3-6, 1-2, unfinished5. Attila Toth (UNLV) vs. Phil Anderson (UNM) 6-7, 6-4, 4-1 unfinished6. Carl Ho (UNM) def. Nikolaj Wulff (UNLV) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Doubles1. Parkes/Bugby (UNM) def. #75 Wronski/Barlocchi (UNLV) 8-32. Kassautzki/Joe Wood (UNM) def. Burrows/Bouras (UNLV) 8-33. Dunbar/Ho (UNM) vs. Toth/Wulff (UNLV) 7-5 unfinished