Feb. 1, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The UAB men's tennis team took the doubles point and won 5-of-6 singles matches en route to a 6-1 season-opening victory over North Alabama.

The Blazers (1-0) did not lose a set in their five singles wins in defeating the Lions (0-1) at the Brook Highland Raquet Club. UAB grabbed a 1-0 lead with wins in doubles at the No. 1 and 2 positions.

Newcomer Slawomir Szeremeta teamed with Tyrone Ewels at No. 1 to down UNA's Jan Miskos and Carlos Cardenas, 9-7. At the No. 2 spot, the Blazers' Johannes Spangenberg and Brian Ly defeated

Zac Bereznicki and Christoffer Sodemann, 8-4.

Ewels added to his doubles win with a 7-5, 6-0 victory at No. 2 singles over Bereznicki while Spangenberg won 6-0, 6-4 over the Lions' Cardenas. Dan Cornei, seeing his first collegiate action along with Ly

Szeremeta, was a 6-4, 6-0 straight-set winner at the No. 4 position over UNA's Martin Siejka. At No. 5, Ly claimed a 6-3, 6-2 win over Sodemann. Thomas Petrich won by default at the No. 6 spot over

North Alabama's Jochen Rohwer. UNA gained its only in the match at No. 1 singles as Miskos edged Szeremeta, 6-4, 6-4.

"I thought this was a good first match for us," said Derek Tarr, beginning his 20th season as the head coach of the Blazers. "We needed to get our new players a taste of college tennis. I thought, while

we have a lot work to do, that they responded well today."

UAB plays at perennial SEC power Mississippi State on Sunday at 1 p.m.

UAB 6, North Alabama 1

Feb. 1, 2008 - Birmingham, Ala.

Doubles

No. 1 - Slawomir Szeremeta/Tyrone Ewels (UAB) def. Carlos Cardenas/Jan Miskos (UNA) 9-7

No. 2 - Brian Ly/Johannes Spangenberg (UAB) def. Zac Bereznicki/Christoffer Sodemann (UNA) 8-4

Singles

No. 1 - Miskos (UNA) def. Szeremeta (UAB) 6-4, 6-4

No. 2 - Ewels (UAB) def. Bereznicki (UNA) 7-5, 6-0

No. 3 - Spangenberg (UAB) def. Cardenas (UNA) 6-0, 6-4

No. 4 - Dan Cornei (UAB) def. Martin Siejka (UNA) 6-4, 6-0

No. 5 - Brian Ly IUAB) def. Sodemann (UNA) 6-3, 6-2

No. 6 - Thomas Petrich (UAB) def. Jochen Rohwer (UNA) Default

Records: UAB 1-0; North Alabama 0-1