LAS VEGAS -- (UNLVRebels.com) – For
Ilia Snitari Wednesday's opening round of the Credit Union 1 Mountain West Tournament meant another win. For his Rebel men's tennis team, however, it produced a season-ending, 4-1, loss to 72nd-ranked New Mexico at the Darling Tennis Center.
Snitari, who a day earlier became just the second player in league history to earn both MW Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year honors in the same season, finished his rookie campaign undefeated at 8-0 in singles, including defeating every other No. 1 player in the conference. UNLV, which was decimated by injuries all spring, closed 2025 at 7-12 overall while the Lobos moved into the semifinals with a record of 14-8.
Snitari opened the evening by also winning his doubles match with partner
Thomas Navarro, 6-3, at the top position over Aram Noroozian and Georgio Samaha. The Lobos, however took the other two matches to grab a 1-0 lead.
Moving to singles play, Snitari won his first set in a flash but then had to survive a tiebreaker to finish off Noroozian, 6-0, 7-6 (2) to get his team on the board. UNM would ultimately close out a trio of straight-set wins to clinch it and advance.
Men's Tennis Match Results
CREDIT UNION 1 MOUNTAIN WEST TOURNAMENT - QUARTERFINALS
#72 (2) NEW MEXICO 4, (7) UNLV 1
April 23, 2025, at Las Vegas, NV
(Darling Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1.
Ilia Snitari (UNLV) def. Aram Noroozian (UNM) 6-0, 7-6 (2)
2. Aditya Balseakar (UNM) def.
Illia Maksymchuk (UNLV) 6-3, 6-1
3.
Thomas Navarro (UNLV) vs. Dario Ciobotaru (UNM) 3-6, 4-4, unfinished
4.
Vitaliy Horovoy (UNLV) vs. Georgio Samaha (UNM) 2-6, 6-5, unfinished
5. Danili Kakhniuk (UNM) def.
Joel Gibson (UNLV) 6-4, 6-3
6. Avery Tallakson (UNM) def.
Roberto Hernandez (UNLV) 6-1, 6-1
Doubles competition
1.
Ilia Snitari/
Thomas Navarro (UNLV) def. Aram Noroozian/Georgio Samaha (UNM) 6-3
2. Daniil Kakhniuk/Nicolas Recoura (UNM) def.
Illia Maksymchuk/
Joel Gibson (UNLV) 6-3
3. Aditya Balsekar/Avery Tallakson (UNM) def.
Vitaliy Horovoy/
Roberto Hernandez (UNLV) 6-3
