The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Tulane
UAB Closes Out Tulane In C-USA Tennis Quarterfinal
4/21/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 21, 2012
Complete Results 
| Championship Central
ORLANDO, Fla. ----- UAB's quarterfinal match with Tulane at the Conference USA Men's Tennis Championship will officially go down as taking more than 20 hours to complete.
But after play was suspended Friday due to rain and lightning with the Blazers holding a 3-1 lead, action resumed at 8:00 Saturday morning and fourth-seeded UAB needed less than five minutes to put the finishing touches on a 4-1 victory over the Green Wave.
The win moves the No. 75-ranked Blazers (17-8) into a semifinal matchup with top-seeded and No. 23-ranked Tulsa, scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET/Noon CT Saturday at the UCF Tennis Complex.
It was sophomore Chris Helliar who sealed the win for UAB as he wrapped up a three-set victory at No. 3 singles over Tulane's Shaye Wali, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4. The two players were tied at 4-4 in the third when their match was halted Friday night.
On Saturday morning, Helliar needed just eight points as he broke Wali's serve to go up 5-4, then closed out the match holding his own serve to give UAB its clinching fourth point.
UAB had raced to a 3-0 lead Friday afternoon with wins at No. 4, 6 and 2 singles. Senior Daniel Moser got his team on the board first with his 7-5, 6-4 win at No. 4 over Tulane's Adam Bernstein. Tom Puetz made it 2-0 Blazers with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory at the No. 6 spot over Takum Ohashi.
Junior David Zimmerman put UAB up 3-0 with a 7-5, 7-6 win at No. 2 singles over Joe Young.
But the fifth-seeded Green Wave (10-13) shortly began to cut into the Blazer cushion as Rodrigo Rappaccioli rallied past UAB's Lucas Dirube at No. 5 singles, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3, to trim the score to 3-1 and turn the momentum slightly in Tulane's favor.
Both matches that were in progress when play was suspended Friday -- No. 1 and 3 singles -- were in the third set when play stopped.
While Helliar was providing the match clincher with his win at No. 3, the Green Wave's Idan Mark had taken a 6-2, 6-7, 5-3 lead at No. 1 singles over UAB's Danny Manlow. Once UAB gained its fourth point, the No. 1 match was suspended.
No. 75 UAB 4, Tulane 1
Singles
No. 1 - Danny Manlow (UAB) vs. Idan Mark (TLN) 2-6, 7-6, 3-5, unfinished
No. 2 - David Zimmerman (UAB) def. Joe Young (TLN) 7-5, 7-6 (7-3)
No. 3 - Chris Helliar (UAB) def. Shaye Wali (TLN) 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4
No. 4 - Daniel Moser (UAB) def. Adam Bernstein (TLN) 7-5, 6-4
No. 5 - Rodrigo Rappaccioli (TLN) def. Lucas Dirube (UAB) 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
No. 6 - Tom Puetz (UAB) def. Takuma Ohashi (TLN) 1-6, 6-1, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 - Idan Mark/Joe Young (TLN) vs. David Zimmerman/Tom Puetz (UAB) Cancelled, match clinched
No. 2 - Takuma Ohashi/Adam Bernstein (TLN) vs. Danny Manlow/Daniel Moser (UAB) Cancelled, match clinched
No. 3 - Rodrigo Rappaccioli/Shaye Wali (TLN) vs. Lucas Dirube/Chris Helliar (UAB) Cancelled, match clinched
Singles Order of Finish: 4, 6, 2, 5, 3
Players Mentioned
