Feb. 15, 2013
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- Senior David Zimmerman won a critical third-set tie-breaker in his No. 1 singles match Friday to lift the UAB men's tennis team to a 4-3 victory over Samford at the George Ward Tennis Center.
With the match tied at 3-3, Zimmerman outlasted the Bulldogs' Zac Dunkle, 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (3) in the deciding match of the day.
In addition to Zimmerman's match-clincher, UAB (3-6) also claimed the doubles point and got singles wins at the No. 3 (Rafael Rondino) and No. 4 (Chris Helliar) spots.
Both Rondino and Helliar were winners in doubles as well. Rondino teamed with Luiz Felipe Pinto to take an 8-4 win at No. 3 doubles over Samford's Austin Akers and Fares Kilani while Helliar and partner Lucas Dirube edged the Bulldog tandem of Elliot Barnwell and Garrison Laduca, 8-7 (3).
The Bulldogs got their only doubles win at No. 1 as Dunkle and Alex Sajonz downed Zimmerman and Tom Puetz, 8-7 (4).
Helliar kept the momentum by becoming the first winner in singles, cruising past Sajonz at No. 4, 6-1, 6-2, to give the Blazers a 2-0 lead.
Akers notched the first point for Samford (3-2) with a 6-3, 6-3 at No. 5 singles over Dirube. Rondino won a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6 (5) decision at No. 3 singles over Kilani before Barnwell tied the match at 3-3 with his three-set victory (6-4, 4-6, 6-4) over Puetz at No. 2 singles. That left the match hanging on the outcome at No. 1 between Zimmerman and Dunkle.
UAB will be back in action Sunday when the Blazers play host to Kennesaw State at 3:00 p.m.
UAB 4, Samford 3
Singles
No. 1 - David Zimmerman (UAB) def. Zac Dunkle (SAM) 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-6 (3)
No. 2 - Elliot Barnwell (SAM) def. Tom Puetz (UAB) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
No. 3 - Rafael Rondino (UAB) def. Fares Kilani (SAM) 7-5, 7-6 (5)
No. 4 - Chris Helliar (UAB) def. Alex Sajonz (SAM) 6-1, 6-2
No. 5 - Austin Akers (SAM) def. Lucas Dirube (UAB) 6-3, 6-3
No. 6 - Garrison Laduca (SAM) def. Luiz Felipe Pinto (UAB) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 - Zac Dunkle/Alex Sajonz (SAM) def. David Zimmerman/Tom Puetz (UAB) 8-7 (4)
No. 2 - Chris Helliar/Lucas Dirube (UAB) def. Elliot Barnwell/Garrison Laduca (SAM) 8-7 (3)
No. 3 - Rafael Rondino/Luiz Felipe Pinto (UAB) def. Austin Akers/Fares Kilani (SAM) 8-4
Records: Samford 3-2; UAB 3-6
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (4,5,6,3,2,1)
