The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Troy
UAB Men's Tennis Team Defeats Troy, 5-2
4/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 17, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- The UAB men's tennis team claimed the doubles point and then won 4-of-6 singles matches, two of them in three sets, as the Blazers defeated Troy Tuesday at the Brook Highland Racquet Club in the team's final home match of the season.
It was another example this season of the Blazers, despite their youth, demonstrating as they've done many times this spring their resilience to claim a victory.
UAB (12-7), with three freshmen in its singles lineup, equaled its win total of last season with the victory. Junior Johannes Spangenberg clinched the match for the Blazers with his 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles over the Trojans' Bona Ung. UAB freshman Alex Emery captured his 30th singles win of the year with his 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory at the No. 5 position over Bastian Maucher.
"For Alex to win 30 matches this season is a great accomplishment," said UAB head coach Derek Tarr. "He's had an outstanding year for us."
The Blazers took a 3-1 lead against Troy, but it was far from a comfortable margin. There were still three matches still to be decided between the teams and all three were extended to three sets.
Spangenberg's three-setter over Ung proved to be the deciding match. He set the tone for the deciding set when he broke his opponent in the opening game. Spangenberg capped off the win over Ung with a break in the final game as well.
"I feel really good about this match," Tarr said after his team's win. "This was a makeup from earlier this season, so we weren't sure we'd play it. But it was good for us as we get ready for the conference tournament. It was a hard-fought win for us and another confidence booster. Even though, their (Troy's) record is not great, they are a quality team, have played a great schedule and beaten some good teams.
"Our guys came out ready to play today," Tarr said. "Once again, our guys showed enough grit and determination to pull out the win."
UAB took a 1-0 lead after doubles with wins at the No. 2 and 3 positions. Tim Bauer and Spangenberg downed the Troy duo of Maucher and Ung, 8-3, while UAB's Emery and Thomas Weiss took an 8-2 win over Dai Edwards-Evans and Guilherme Sahadi. The Trojans were 8-4 winners at No. 1 doubles as Dusan Meden and Irving Morales downed the Blazers' tandem of Kruno Despotovski and Adrian Tollstam.
Despotovski, the team's only senior playing his final home match and who has had two productive years for the Blazers after transferring from Barton County (Kan.) Community College, dropped his singles match at No. 3, falling to Medan, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-4. But by then UAB had the win secured.
Freshman Thomas Petrich also provided a significant win in the match as he defeated Sahadi, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2). Fellow freshman Bauer had given UAB a 2-1 lead with his 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 4 singles over Edwards-Evans. After losing the doubles point, Troy had tied the match at 1-1 as Morales took a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles over the Blazers' Weiss.
Troy fell to 5-10 with the loss.
UAB will now get ready for the Conference USA Championships, scheduled for Houston, Texas later this week.
UAB 5, Troy 2
Doubles
No. 1 - Irving Morales/Dusan Meden (Troy) def. Kruno Despotovski/Adrian Tollstam (UAB) 8-4
No. 2 - Tim Bauer/Johannes Spangenberg (UAB) def. Bastian Maucher/Bona Ung (Troy) 8-3
No. 3 - Alex Emery/Thomas Weiss (UAB) def. Dai Edwards-Evans/Guilherme Sahadi (Troy) 8-2
Singles
No. 1 - Irving Morales (Troy) def. Thomas Weiss (UAB) 6-1, 6-3
No. 2 - *Johannes Spangenberg (UAB) def. Bona Ung (Troy) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
No. 3 - Dusan Medan (Troy) def. Kruno Despotovski (UAB) 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4
No. 4 - Tim Bauer (UAB) def. Dai Edwards-Evans (Troy) 6-2, 6-2
No. 5 - Alex Emery (UAB) def. Bastian Maucher (Troy) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
No. 6 - Thomas Petrich (UAB) def. Guilherme Sahadi (Troy) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2)
Records: UAB 12-7; Troy 5-10
* Clinching match
Players Mentioned
