April 3, 2005

Results

BEAUMONT - The Lamar men's tennis team snapped a five-match losing skid with a much needed Southland Conference win on Sunday morning, as the Cardinals held off Texas-Pan American, 4-3, at the Cardinal Courts.

The win puts the Cardinals at 9-10 overall and 2-3 in SLC play. UTPA falls to 3-7 on they year with a 1-5 league record. Lamar wraps up the league portion of its regular season next Saturday, Apr. 9 with an 11 a.m. road contest at No. 20 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Sunday's match began with doubles play, where the Cardinals earned the team point with strong play from the No. 2 and No. 3 squads. LU's top team of Dean Clower and Ignacio Melus stumbled against the Broncs' Jeremy Salvo and Rehman Esmail, 8-3. The Cardinals' Emilio Kirby and Juan Pablo Alatorre came through in the clutch at the No. 2 spot, however, earning their fourth straight win and 11th doubles win of the season with an 8-6 victory. The LU No. 3 team of Christian Olivier and David Wanja also emerged victorious with an 8-3 triumph over UTPA's Nik Porter and Pierre Cantu.

With the match still in the balance, the Cardinals received key wins at the No. 1 and No. 6 position to help seal the victory. A senior from Mexico City, Alatorre overcame a 6-2 first-set loss against Gary Bianco, to win the last two sets, 7-6 and 6-4. Fellow Mexico City native Christian Olivier also came through for the Cardinals with a straight set, 6-2, 6-2 win over UTPA's Cantu at the No. 6 position.

After dropping straight set decisions at the No. 2, 4 and 5 slots, LU's Melus recorded the Cardinals third and decisive singles win. The Arica, Chile native topped the Broncs' Porter in straight sets, 6-4 and 6-1, to improve to 10-8 on the year.

Lamar University 4, Texas-Pan American 3
Singles competition:
1. Juan Pablo Alatorre (LAMAR) def. Gary Bianco (UTPA) 2-6, 7-6, 6-4
2. Jeremy Salvo (UTPA) def. Emilio Kirby (LAMAR) 6-4, 6-3
3. Ignacio Melus (LAMAR) def. Nik Porter (UTPA) 6-4, 6-1
4. Oliver Steil (UTPA) def. Dean Clower (LAMAR) 6-4, 7-6
5. Rehman Esmail (UTPA) def. Emmanuel Olivier (LAMAR) 6-1, 6-4
6. Christian Olivier (LAMAR) def. Pierre Cantu (UTPA) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles competition:
1. Jeremy Salvo/Rehman Esmail (UTPA) def. Dean Clower/Ignacio Melus (LAMAR) 8-3
2. Emilio Kirby/Juan Pablo Alatorre (LAMAR) def. Gary Bianco/Oliver Steil (UTPA) 8-6
3. Christian Olivier/David Wanja (LAMAR) def. Nik Porter/Pierre Cantu (UTPA) 8-3