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UAB Men's Tennis Team Falls To UCF At C-USA Championship
April 18, 2008
DALLAS ----- The UAB men's tennis team lost its opening round match of the Conference USA Championship here Friday, falling to UCF, 4-2, at the Turpin Tennis Stadium on the campus of SMU. The Blazers (12-3), ranked No.70 nationally and seeded fourth in the tournament, saw the No. 5 seed Knights (12-8) avenge a regular season loss to UAB earlier in the season. The Blazers had defeated UCF, 4-3, at the C-USA Shootout on Feb. 23. Friday's result was also a reversal of the past two years when UCF defeated UAB in regular season action only to see the Blazers come back and win against the Knights in the league tournament. UCF won at No. 1 and 3 doubles to take a 1-0 lead heading into singles, and then took victories at the No. 1, 4 and 5 singles positions to clinch the match. Senior Hans Spangenberg and freshman Tyrone Ewels provided the Blazers with their two singles wins as they won at the No. 2 and 6 positions, respectively. Spangenberg downed UCF's Niko Overkemping, 6-3, 6-4, while Ewels beat Claudio Romano, 7-6, 6-4. In doubles play, the Knights' Johan Beigart and Overkemping got past the UAB tandem of Ewels and Slawomir Szeremeta, 8-4. UCF also claimed a win at No. 3 doubles as Sinan Sudas and Blaze Schwartz defeated Dan Cornei and Alex Emery, 8-5. The Blazers' duo of Brian Ly and Hans Spangenberg were leading Romano and Brock Sakey at the No. 2 doubles spot, 7-4, when play was halted after the Knights had won at No. 1 and 3. In singles, Sudas won over UAB's Szeremeta, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 1 singles. Tarek Ben Soltane downed UAB's Emery at the No. 5 singles position, 6-2, 6-4. Sakey provided the Knights with the clinching win, taking a three-set (6-4, 4-6, 6-3) decision over Ly.
UCF 4, UAB 2 Doubles 1. Johan Beigart/Niko Overkemping (UCF) def. Tyrone Ewels/Slawomir Szeremeta (UAB) 8-4 2. Brian Ly/Hans Spangenberg (UAB) vs. Claudio Romano/Brock Sakey (UCF) 7-4, unfinished 3. Blaze Schwartz/Sinan Sudas (UCF) def. Dan Cornei/Alex Emery (UAB) 8-5 Singles 1. Sudas (UCF) def. Szeremeta (UAB) 6-4, 6-1 2. Spangenberg (UAB) def. Overkemping (UCF) 6-3, 6-4 3. Cornei (UAB) vs. Beigart (UCF) 6-7, 7-5, unfinished 4. Sakey (UCF) def. Ly (UAB) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 5. Tarek Ben Soltane (UCF) def. Emery (UAB) 6-2, 6-4 6. Ewels (UAB) def. Romano (UCF) 7-6, 6-4 Records: UCF 12-8, UAB 12-3 |
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