LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV men's tennis team lost for the first time this season in an intense affair at the Fertitta Tennis Complex as Weber State took a 4-3 win on Saturday.
 
The Rebels fell to 2-1 while the Wildcats improved to 2-2.
 
After the teams split the first two completed doubles matches, the point would come down to the top court and WSU survived a 12-10 tiebreaker to give it the momentum. Illia Maksymchuk and Taiyo Hirano won 6-2 at the No. 2 position for the hosts' victory.
 
In singles play, UNLV took a 2-1 lead with straight set wins by Dusan Rsovac at No. 3 and Martin Jovenin at No. 5. However, all four remaining matches would go the full three sets. Taiyo Hirano won at the bottom of the lineup for the third Rebel point but WSU tied things at three. All eyes were on court one where Tristan Sarap outlasted Anton Ornberg, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, after rallying from down 4-2 to win the all-important third-set tiebreaker, 7-4.
 
REBEL OF THE MATCH: Taiyo Hirano went 2-0 on the day, winning at No. 2 doubles and No. 6 singles.
 
QUOTABLE: "Congratulations to Weber State. It was a good, hard battle today. We played well, just not well enough to close out team match points."
-UNLV Head Coach Andy Jackson
 
UP NEXT: UNLV will host a doubleheader Sunday to close out the weekend quad. The Rebels will first face New Mexico State at 9:30 am and then UC Riverside at 2;30 pm. All matches at Fertitta Tennis Complex are free of charge.
 
Men's Tennis Match Results
WEBER STATE 4, UNLV 3
Jan. 27, 2024, at Las Vegas
(Fertitta Tennis Complex)

Singles competition
1. Tristan Sarap (WSU-M) def. Anton Ornberg (UNLV) 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4)
2. Elyes Marouani (WSU-M) def. Joseph Chen (UNLV) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
3. Dusan Rsovac (UNLV) def. William Zulch (WSU-M) 6-4, 6-0
4. Jordan Coutinho (WSU-M) def. Illia Maksymchuk (UNLV) 5-7, 7-6, 6-3
5. Martin Jovenin (UNLV) def. Matteo Savio (WSU-M) 7-5, 7-5
6. Taiyo Hirano (UNLV) def. Tuan (Ken) Minh (WSU-M) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
 
 Doubles competition
1. Elyes Marouani/Tristan Sarap (WSU-M) def. Anton Ornberg/Jackson Atherton (UNLV) 7-6 (12-10)
2. Illia Maksymchuk/Taiyo Hirano (UNLV) def. William Zulch/Jordan Coutinho (WSU-M) 6-2
3. Tuan (Ken) Minh/Matteo Savio (WSU-M) def. Joseph Chen/Aaron Bailey (UNLV) 6-4
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (3,5,2,6,4,1)