Feb. 10, 2012

Box Score

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The 57th-ranked UNLV men's tennis team dropped a tough 4-3 decision to visiting Oklahoma State on Friday afternoon at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

The Rebels fell to 3-4 on the year while the Cowboys improved to 3-0.

UNLV won two of three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead. Alex Bull and Rene Ruegamer downed Eric West and Christopher Haworth at the second spot 8-6 after Willie Sublette and Tamas Batyi finished off Adolfo Aires and Trevor Horstmann at No. 3, 8-1.

In singles play, the Rebels faced a lineup that featured three ranked players. In fact, Ruegamer, playing on court two, earned his first ranked win with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over No. 89 Rifat Biktyakov. Brian Kenyon also scored for UNLV with a 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Aires at the fifth spot.

The team match was eventually tied at 3 with only court six going to a third set. Horstmann got through a long first-set tiebreaker and eventually fought off Sublette by the score of 7-6 (10-8), 4-6, 6-3 to clinch it for OSU.

"It was especially disappointing to lose today after capturing the doubles point." said UNLV head coach Owen Hambrook. "I was proud of Willie for staying tough. He's been solid for us this year and I'm sure he'll be in the position to win it for us again this season."

UNLV returns to action a week from today by hosting former conference rival Utah beginning with doubles play at 2 p.m. Admission to all Rebel matches is free of charge.

UNLV Men's Tennis Match ResultsOklahoma State 4, #57 UNLV 3Feb. 10, 2012, at Las Vegas(Fertitta Tennis Complex)Singles competition1. #60 Vlad Bondarenko (OSU) def. Tamas Batyi (UNLV) 6-1, 6-32. Rene Ruegamer (UNLV) def. #89 Rifat Biktyakov (OSU) 6-1, 6-43. #77 Christopher Haworth (OSU) def. Alex Bull (UNLV) 6-3, 6-34. Eric West (OSU) def. Bernard Schoeman (UNLV) 6-4, 6-15. Brian Kenyon (UNLV) def. Adolfo Aires (OSU) 6-0, 6-16. Trevor Horstmann (OSU) def. Willie Sublette (UNLV) 7-6 (8), 4-6, 6-3ORDER OF FINISH: 5,1,2,3,4,6Doubles competition 1. #56 Biktyakov/Bondarenko (OSU) def. Schoeman/Kenyon (UNLV) 8-42. Bull/Ruegamer (UNLV) def. West/Haworth (OSU) 8-63. Sublette/Batyi (UNLV) def. Aires/Horstmann (OSU) 8-1ORDER OF FINISH: 3, 1, 2