Feb. 24, 2007

ORLANDO, Fla. - UAB, ranked No. 75 nationally in the latest Fila Collegiate Tennis Poll, rallied back after dropping the doubles point to win four of six singles matches and post a 4-3 Conference USA victory over East Carolina Saturday at the UCF Tennis Center.

The Pirates (4-7, 0-2) used 8-6 and 8-5 wins by duos Aleksey Kochetov and Henrique Viana at No. 1 and Matt Peeler and Brian Walters at No. 3, respectively, to jump out to an early 1-0 lead.

Viana and Stephen Whitwell turned in ECU's only singles wins by defeating Johannes Spangenberg (6-4, 3-6, 6-2) at the No. 2 slot and Alex Emery (7-5, 3-6, 6-3) at the No. 5 position but the Blazers (5-4, 1-1) quickly took control of the match by rolling off four straight victories.

After UAB's Tim Bauer, Kruno Despotovski and Thomas Petrich scored wins in the No. 3, 4 and 6 singles matchups, the Blazers' Thomas Weiss overcame a first-set loss to Kochetov to hand the ECU sophomore a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 setback at No. 1 to complete the rally. Earlier, Bauer had knocked off Peeler (6-3, 6-1), Despotovski fought past Bryan Oakley (7-6, 6-4) and Petrich cruised past Walters (6-4, 6-0).

East Carolina will conclude C-USA satellite tourney play when it squares off against host UCF Sunday morning

NO. 75 UAB 4, EAST CAROLINA 3
Singles Play
No. 1 - Thomas Weiss (UAB) def. Aleksey Kochetov (ECU); 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 - Henrique Viana (ECU) def. Johannes Spangenberg (UAB); 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
No. 3 - Tim Bauer (UAB) def. Matt Peeler (ECU); 6-3, 6-1
No. 4 - Kruno Despotovski (UAB) def. Bryan Oakley (ECU); 7-6 (3), 6-4
No. 5 - Stephen Whitwell (ECU) def. Alex Emery (UAB); 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
No. 6 - Thomas Petrich (UAB) def. Brian Walters (ECU); 6-4, 6-0
Doubles Play
No. 1 - Kochetov/Viana (ECU) def. Despotovski/Weiss (UAB); 8-6
No. 2 - Bauer/Spangenberg (UAB) def. Oakley/Whitwell (ECU); 8-4
No. 3 - Peeler/Walters (ECU) def. Emery/Petrich (UAB); 8-5
Team Records: East Carolina (4-7, 0-2), UAB (5-4, 1-1)