Rebels beat Bulldogs in dramatic finale

Tim Graham

Friday, May 15, 1998 | 10:24 a.m.

The whole concept of tennis is based on back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

But that was meant for the ball, not necessarily emotions.

The fifth-seeded UNLV men's tennis team went back and forth all day in its attempt to defeat fourth-seeded Fresno State in the opening round of the NCAA Regional tournament at Fertitta Tennis Complex.

With the team score tied at 3, the deciding match took place on Court 2 between UNLV's Nenad Zivkovic and Fresno State's Olivier LeJeune. The dramatic match featured multiple injury timeouts, tiebreakers and a controversial overruling from the umpire before being reduced to the last man standing.

Zivkovic, suffering from cramps, won 7-6, 6-7 (6-8), 4-3 after LeJeune was unable to continue, also due to severe body cramping. After being tended to by trainers from both teams, LeJeune finally left the court on a gurney and was taken to Sunrise Hospital via ambulance.

"I thought my cramps would go away," said Zivkovic. "But I was thinking if I could make it through, I would win."

The Rebels, in the Regional semifinals for the fourth consecutive year, will play top- seeded Pepperdine in the second round today at 2 p.m.

"We were so out of it," UNLV coach Larry Easley said. "But anything can happen."

The women's tournament began this morning at Fertitta, as top-seeded Pepperdine faced Fresno State and third-seeded San Diego played San Diego State at 9 a.m.

Fourth-seeded UNLV will take on Washington State and second-seeded Southern Cal will play Washington at 3 p.m. If UNLV wins, it will face the Pepperdine-Fresno State winner Saturday at 1 p.m.

Zivkovic, of Yugoslavia, appeared in control Thursday after the first set and held a 5-3 lead in the second. But his French opponent fought back to force the tiebreaker. Zivkovic quickly fell behind 6-1, but rallied to tie it at 6.

Zivkovic, moving like a newborn foal due to his cramping, then appeared to win the game after he called one of LeJeune's return shots out. But umpire King Pickford overruled the call, causing Easley to throw his hat in disgust. LeJeune won the next point to force a third set.

"That took a lot of guts for an umpire to overrule that call," Easley said. "I got (upset) at first, but then I realized those calls go both ways."

UNLV's points came when Bobb defeated Andy Scortiano 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Danny Erez beat P.J. Dormire 6-1, 6-3; and Brandon Fallon topped Kevin Vieira 6-3, 7-5.

Fresno State scored in singles as Peter Luczak beat Asaf Tishler 6-4, 6-3 and Rob Cheyne stopped Gregor Skorin 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. The Bulldogs also garnered the doubles point after Luczak-Scortiano defeated Tishler-Erez 8-5 and David Mullins-Vieira beat Bobb-Andy Tapernoux 8-3.

In the early matchup, sixth-seeded New Mexico upset third-seeded San Diego State 4-2.

New Mexico next faces second-seeded Boise State today at noon. No. 16 Boise State had a first-round bye Thursday.