SAN DIEGO -- In a match that saw to UNLV players default before play even began, the BYU men's tennis team lost to No. 32 UNLV, 4-3, on Saturday at San Diego State University.
The loss drops the Cougars to 7-10 overall, 2-3 in the conference, while UNLV improves to 11-6 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain West.
BYU's 23rd-ranked doubles team of Carlos Lozano and Gert Vilms slipped by Nenad Zivkovic and Thomas Schneiter at the top position, 9-8 (7-5 in the tiebreaker). With only five players making the trip because of injuries, the Rebels began play down 1-0 overall and behind in doubles 1-0, so the victory won the doubles point for BYU.
In singles play, besides the default at the No. 6 spot, the only victory was by Carlos Lozano at the two spot. He defeated Thomas Schneiter, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Then, three Rebels quickly won in straight sets. Zivkovic at the top spot, Gregor Skorin at No. 3 and Leslie Eisinga at No. 5. The match came down to the fourth position where UNLV's Artin Tafazoli rallied to win 6-7, 6-2, 6-1 over Michael Gysens and the fifth spot.
The Cougars will take a week off before facing the University of Denver on April 9 at the BYU Outdoor Tennis Courts.
RESULTS: BYU 3 UNLV 4Singles:
#1 Nenad Zivkovic def. Gert Vilms 7-6, 6-4 UNLV
#2 Carlos Lozano def. Thomas Schneiter 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 BYU
#3 Gregor Skorin def. Eric Nyman 6-4, 6-3 UNLV
#4 Artin Tafazoli def. Michael Gysens 6-7, 6-2, 6-1 UNLV
#5 Leslie Eisinga def. Jeff Olsen 6-4, 6-2 UNLV
#6 BYU WINS BY DEFAULT Default BYU
Doubles:
#1 Vilms/Lozano def. Zivkovic/Schneiter 9-8 (5) BYU
#2 Skorin/Eisinga def. Olsen/Jeff Harbach 8-5 UNLV
#3 BYU WINS BY DEFAULT Default BYU
Colorado Springs, Colo. -- BYU junior Gert Vilms and sophomore Dominique Reynolds have been selected Mountain West Conference Men's and Women's Tennis Players of the Week, respectively. Both players earn MWC honors for the first time this season.
Vilms had a strong showing this past weekend against conference foes Utah, New Mexico and Air Force. The Tallin, Estonia native went 6-0 in singles and doubles play and won four of his six matches by four points or more. Vilms defeated Utah's David Mercier 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) en route to the No. 70 Cougar's upset of intrastate rival No. 66 Utah, 4-1. Against New Mexico the next day, Vilms knocked off Michael Polasek in the No. 2 spot, 6-2, 6-2, but the Cougars fell to the Lobos, 3-4. In the 7-0 defeat of Air Force, Vilms completed singles play for the weekend by sweeping Falcon Kyle Rainey in the No. 2 spot, 6-1, 6-2. In doubles play, the No. 23 ranked duo of Vilms and Carlos Lozano defeated pairs from Utah (8-6), New Mexico (8-4) and Air Force (8-2) to post a perfect weekend. This is the second MWC Player of the Week honor for Vilms during his career.
Reynolds moved up to the No. 2 spot this past week and went undefeated in singles and doubles play against conference rivals New Mexico and Air Force. The Mexico City, Mexico native defeated New Mexico's Tjasa Suvak, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1), before sweeping Air Force's Crystal Chuntraruk, 6-5, 6-2. In No. 2 doubles play, Reynolds and teammate Liza Khoudoiarova defeated duos from New Mexico (8-4) and Air Force (8-3). The No. 35 Cougars went 2-0 this past weekend defeating No. 38 New Mexico, 5-2, and shutting out Air Force, 7-0.
