March 17, 2010

Box Score

LAS VEGAS - The 52nd-ranked UNLV men's tennis team won an intense battle with the next school in the national rankings, No. 53 Iowa, 5-2 on Wednesday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

Enjoying a perfect St. Patrick's Day weather-wise, the Rebels improved to 10-7 overall and 2-1 vs. Iowa all-time, while the Hawkeyes fell to 6-4 this spring. UNLV, which has won five of its last six matches, has now reached double digits in victories every year under seventh-year head coach Owen Hambrook.

The hosts earned a 1-0 lead by winning two of three doubles matches in exciting fashion. Bernard Schoeman and Johannes Markel teamed up for an 8-5 victory at the No. 2 slot and, after Iowa won a 9-7 final on court three, Mehdi Bouras and Luca Barlocchi emerged with the clincher at the top of the lineup, 9-7.

In singles, Attila Toth won 6-3, 6-4 over Will Vasos at No. 4 and Markel defeated Reinoud Haal at No. 3 by the score of 6-3, 6-3. The Hawkeyes, however, closed to within 3-2 by capturing a pair of three setters at the top and bottom of the lineup. Kasper Konyves would eventually clinch it for the hosts with a 7-5, 0-6, 6-4 win at No. 5 over Tommy McGeorge before Barlocchi won a marathon super- tiebreaker to close the scoring, 6-2, 6-7, 1-0 (13-11), on court two over Nikita Zotov.

"The guys played really well in doubles, which I think was the difference today," said Hambrook. "This was a very big test for us against a tough and well-coached Iowa team."

UNLV will take some time off before returning to the courts to open Mountain West Conference play on April 2 by hosting TCU. Doubles is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and admission is free of charge.

Men's Tennis Match ResultsMarch 17, 2010, at Las Vegas(Fertitta Tennis Complex)#52 UNLV 5, #53 Iowa 2
Singles competition1. Marc Bruche (IOWA) def. #112 Mehdi Bouras (UNLV) 5-7, 6-3, 6-12. Luca Barlocchi (UNLV) def. Nikita Zotov (IOWA) 6-2, 6-7, 1-0 (13-11)3. Johannes Markel (UNLV) def. Reinoud Haal (IOWA) 6-3, 6-34. Attila Toth (UNLV) def. Will Vasos (IOWA) 6-3, 6-45. Kasper Konyves (UNLV) def. Tommy McGeorge (IOWA) 7-5, 0-6, 6-46. Tom Mroziewicz (IOWA) def. Bernard Schoeman (UNLV) 7-6, 3-6, 6-3
Doubles competition1. Bouras/Barlocchi (UNLV) def. Vasos/McGeorge (IOWA) 9-72. Markel/Schoeman (UNLV) def. Bruche/Mroziewicz (IOWA) 8-53. Haal/Garret Dunn (IOWA) def. Toth/Konyves (UNLV) 9-7
 ORDER OF FINISHDOUBLES: 2,3,1SINGLES: 4,3,1,6,5,2