LAS -- BYU's men's tennis team kept up its momentum after returning to the Darling Tennis Center, home of the 2006 regional championships, to win 10 of its 16 matches at the Rebel Classic Friday.
All three of the Cougar seniors won their first two singles matches to reach the semifinals of the tournament to be held Saturday. James Ludlow beat UNLV's Brett Hunter 6-3, 6-1 on Hunter's home court in the quarterfinals. Chip Hand beat Elliot Wronski, also from UNLV, 6-4, 6-4 and Dominik Kaufhold squeaked past Illinois' Billy Heiser 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the semifinal round as well.
In flight two freshman Cassidy Mears also reached the semifinal round to be held Saturday by beating Oklahoma's Ryan Thomas in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. In doubles action, only one Cougar team moved on as Hand and Jonathan Sanchez took apart Taylor Lelby and Greg Jackson from Fresno State, winning 8-3.
The Rebel Classic is the last tournament for the BYU men's tennis fall season. After Saturday's matches, play will not resume until January 13 when BYU hosts in-state rival Weber State. The men finished the season second in the region behind Boise State after a solid showing at the Wilson/ITA Regional Championships in Las Vegas in October.
REBEL CLASSIC MEN'S TENNIS
DAY ONE RESULTS
Nov. 3, 2006
At Darling Tennis Center, Las Vegas
FLIGHT ONE
SINGLES ROUND OF 16
Rudolf Siwy (FS) def. Cale Planck (BYU) 7-5, 6-1
Sasha Kharkevitch (ILL) def. Wes Burrows (UNLV) 6-4, 6-2
Brett Hunter (UNLV) def. Colin Mascall (ARK) 6-3, 6-4
James Ludlow (BYU) def. Charles Irie (FS) 7-6, 6-4
Christian Hand (BYU) def. Mirko Zapletal (FS) 6-4, 6-4
Elliot Wronski (UNLV) def. Federico Chavarria (OKLA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Dominik Kaufhold (BYU) def. Jonathan Hooper (UNLV) 7-5, 6-0
Billy Heiser (ILL) def. Luca Barlocchi (UNLV) 7-6, 6-2
FLIGHT ONE
SINGLES QUARTERFINALS
Rudolf Siwy (FS) def. Sasha Kharkevitch (ILL) 6-3, 6-2
James Ludlow (BYU) def. Brett Hunter (UNLV) 6-3, 6-1
Christian Hand (BYU) def. Elliot Wronski (UNLV) 6-4, 6-7, 6-2
Dominik Kaufhold (BYU) def. Billy Heiser (ILL) 7-6, 4-6, 6-3
FLIGHT TWO
SINGLES ROUND OF 16
Tejesvi Veerepalli (FS) BYE
Michael Eraso (BYU) def. Anthony Zafiris (FP) 6-4, 6-4
Roberto Bianco (FP) def. Matt Kunkel (UNLV) 6-3, 6-2
David Campbell (UNLV) def. Greg Jackson (FS) 7-6, 6-2
Jonathan Sanchez (BYU) def. Taylor Lelby (FS) 6-2, 6-0
Matt Carroll (FP) def. Andrei Nicoara (ARK) 7-5, 6-4
Ryan Thomas (OKLA) def. Albert Nersesyan (BYU) 6-4, 6-3
Cassidy Mears (BYU) BYE
FLIGHT TWO
SINGLES QUARTERFINALS
Tejesvi Veerepalli (FS) def. Michael Eraso (BYU) 6-4, 7-6
David Campbell (UNLV) def. Roberto Bianco (FP) 6-4, 6-2
Matt Carroll (FP) def. Jonathan Sanchez (BYU) 6-3, 6-3
Cassidy Mears (BYU) def. Ryan Thomas (OKLA) 6-2, 6-4
DOUBLES ROUND OF 16
Ludlow/Kaufhold (BYU) BYE
Irie/Zapletal (FS) def. Thomas/Chavarria (OKLA) 8-3
Kharkevitch/Heiser (ILL) def. Eraso/Nersesyan (BYU) 8-2
Bianco/Carroll (FP) def. Campbell/Burrows (UNLV) 9-8
Hand/Sanchez (BYU) def. Lelby/Jackson (FS) 8-3
Mascall/Nicoada (ARK) def. Hooper/Barlocchi (UNLV) 8-4
Wronski/Hunter (UNLV) def. Planck/Mears (BYU) 8-6
Siwy/Veerepalli (FS) BYE