The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Rice
UAB Men's Tennis Team Falls To No. 37 Rice
4/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 17, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. ----- The UAB men's tennis team lost a tight doubles point and then saw 37th-ranked Rice capture wins at the No. 1, 2 and 4 singles positions as the Owls handed the Blazers a 4-0 defeat and an early exit at the Conference USA Championship.
The Owls (16-9), seeded second in the tournament, won close matches at No. 2 and 3 doubles to take a 1-0 lead over the No. 7-seeded Blazers (10-11) and then won at No. 1, 2 and 4 to secure the win.
UAB's Daniel Moser and Tyrone Ewels were both up in their matches at No. 3 and 5 singles, respectively, and Thomas Petrich had just won his second set at No. 6 to split, at the time Rice clinched the match.
"We're obviously disappointed and feel that the final score could have been a lot closer," said UAB head coach Derek Tarr. "Rice is a very good team and has a lot of depth."
Christoph Mueller, ranked No. 46 in this week's ITA rankings, clinched the match for the Owls with a 6-3, 6-2 win over UAB's Brian Ly at No. 2 singles. At No. 1, Rice's Bruno Rosa, ranked No. 47 nationally, downed the Blazers' Dan Cornei, 6-1, 6-1.
Rice's other singles win came at No. 4 as Sam Garforth-Bies beat Alex Emery at No. 4 singles.
The doubles point, which has proved to be a determining factor in the overall outcome for UAB so many times this season, went to Rice. But the point wasn't captured easily by the Owls.
Rice won 8-3 at No. 1 as Mueller and Tobias Scheil downed the Blazer tandem of Dennis Ehrich and Slawomir Szeremeta. The No. 2 match was tightly-contested as the Owls' Rosa and Isamu Tachibana took an 8-6 decision over Ly and Emery, breaking Ly's serve in the fifth game.
The No. 3 matchup between UAB's Ewels and Moser and Rice's Garforth-Bles and Christian Saravia was knotted at 6-6 when the Owls clinched the doubles by virtue of their win at No. 2.
After the match, Tarr reflected on the season and characterized Friday's match against Rice as similar to many others this spring for the Blazers.
"The guys who have been the most consistent for us this season were the same ones who played the best against Rice," said Tarr. "We had some highlights this year, but inconsistencies plagued us for much of the year. We played a tough schedule, probably the toughest we have played in many years, and that may not have worked out well for us because some of our guys never developed the confidence they needed.
"We have talented players on this team," he said, "but we never came together collectvely as a team and obviously, that hampered us."
Conference USA Championships
No. 37 Rice 4, UAB 0
Doubles
No. 1 - Christoph Mueller/Tobias Scheil (Rice) def. Dennis Ehrlich/Slawomir Szeremeta (UAB) 8-3
No. 2 - Bruno Rosa/Isamu Tachibana (Rice) def. Alex Emery/Brian Ly (UAB) 8-6
No. 3 - Sam Garforth-Bles/Christian Saravia (Rice) vs. Tyrone Ewels/Daniel Moser (UAB) 6-6, Susp.
Singles
No. 1 - Bruno Rosa (Rice) def. Dan Cornei (UAB) 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 - Christoph Mueller (Rice) def. Brian Ly (UAB) 6-3, 6-2
No. 3 - Daniel Moser (UAB) vs. Tobias Scheil (Rice) 6-4, 4-2, Susp.
No. 4 - Sam Garforth-Bles (Rice) def. Alex Emery (UAB) 6-2, 6-2
No. 5 - Tyrone Ewels (UAB) vs. Isamu Tachibana (Rice) 7-5, 2-0, Susp.
No. 6 - Thomas Petrich (UAB) vs. Christian Saravia (Rice) 0-6, 6-4, Susp.
Players Mentioned
