LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV men's tennis team opened its dual-match season with a hard-fought 4-3 win over Idaho State on Wednesday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex. It marked a successful start for longtime collegiate head coach Andy Jackson, who is in his first season leading the Rebels.

UNLV earned a 1-0 lead after taking the first two completed doubles matches. Anton Ornberg and Jackson Atherton won 6-4 at the top spot while Illia Maksymchuk and Taiyo Hirano emerged by using a 9-7 tiebreaker on court two to clinch the point.

In singles play, the Bengals, who are coached by former UNLV assistant Oliver Good, took a 2-1 lead with straight-setters on courts two and three. Ornberg then got his team even with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Victor Sklenka at the top of the lineup. The final trio of matches all went three sets but Hirano downed Ege Cankus, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, at No. 6 before Maksymchuk clinched the team victory, 6-0, 3-6, 7-5, over Hiroki Fujita on court four.

QUOTABLE: "Idaho State was much better than us in the fall. We hoped we could make today's match close. We did that and won for a good start to the season."

-UNLV Head Coach Andy Jackson

UP NEXT: UNLV's match at No. 7 USC, scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed until February 3 because of rains in Southern California. The Rebels will now be back in action January 26 at home vs. Hawai'i starting at 9:30 am. All matches at Fertitta Tennis Complex are free of charge.

Men's Tennis Match Results
UNLV 4, IDAHO STATE 3
Jan. 18, 2024, at Las Vegas
(Fertitta Tennis Complex)

Singles competition

1. Anton Ornberg (UNLV) def. Victor Sklenka (ISU) 6-2, 6-4
2. Valentino Pellegrin (ISU) def. Aaron Bailey (UNLV) 6-3, 6-4
3. Andreas Kramer (ISU) def. Dusan Rsovac (UNLV) 6-4, 6-4
4. Illia Maksymchuk (UNLV) def. Hiroki Fujita (ISU) 6-0, 3-6, 7-5
5. Wikus Robbertse (ISU) def. Martin Jovenin (UNLV) 3-6, 7-6, 7-5
6. Taiyo Hirano (UNLV) def. Ege Cankus (ISU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

 Doubles competition
1. Anton Ornberg/Jackson Atherton (UNLV) def. Victor Sklenka/Valentino Pellegrin (ISU) 6-4
2. Illia Maksymchuk/Taiyo Hirano (UNLV) def. Andreas Kramer/Patrick Kristensen (ISU) 7-6 (9-7)
3. Thomas Navarro/Aaron Bailey (UNLV) vs. Ege Cankus/Hiroki Fujita (ISU) 6-6, unfinished

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (2,3,1,4,6,5)