LAS VEGAS – Coming off a pair of tough matches on Tuesday, Illinois State returned to the courts in Las Vegas to complete its spring trip with a contest against UNLV. The Rebels took care of business at home, defeating the Redbirds 4-1 at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
"What a battle today was. We came up just short in prolonging the match and I really think we could have had a chance to win if we had fresher legs," ISU head coach Mark Klysner said. "The boys were definitely feeling yesterday's matches. Overall, I thought we competed so hard and really couldn't ask anything more from my team. They certainly left it all on the court."
Illinois State got off to a good start, as Nam Pham and Ming-Chieh Chiu defeated Jack Hambrook and Anton Ornberg by a score of 6-2 at No. 3 doubles. However, UNLV rallied to win matches at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles to secure the point and take the early lead.
In singles action, Dominick Cuchran picked up a win at No. 6 against Jackson Atherton in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 to earn a point for ISU. The Rebels answered with wins at No. 1, 2 and 3 however to secure the four points needed for the match victory.
The Redbirds will take a two-week break to refresh, before they start a four-match homestand on March 23 with a match against Saint Louis at the Evergreen Racquet Club.
FINAL SCORE: UNLV (4), Illinois State (1)
Singles competition
1. #76 Christopher Bulus (UNLV) def. Pol Botifoll Rius (ISU) 6-1, 6-2
2. Jordan Sauer (UNLV) def. Melker Isaksson (ISU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Milos Dabic (UNLV) def. Diego Le Gal Perez (ISU) 6-2, 6-0
4. Zach Garner (UNLV) vs. Arvid Hjalte (ISU) 6-4, 6-7, unfinished
5. Anton Ornberg (UNLV) vs. Zane Kohrs (ISU) 6-2, 4-6, 2-1, unfinished
6. Dominick Cuchran (ISU) def. Jackson Atherton (UNLV) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competitionÂ
1. Jackson Atherton/Jordan Sauer (UNLV) def. Arvid Hjalte/Zane Kohrs (ISU) 6-2
2. Christopher Bulus/Zach Garner (UNLV) def. Melker Isaksson/Diego Le Gal Perez (ISU) 7-6 (7-0)
3. Nam Pham/Ming-Chieh Chiu (ISU) def. Jack Hambrook/Anton Ornberg (UNLV) 6-2 Â Â
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