Monday, January 20
Las Vegas, Nev.
2:00 p.m.
Creighton University
1
at
6
UNLV
Photo by: Patrick Davis
Men’s Tennis Drops 6-1 Decision at UNLV
1/20/2025 6:08:00 PM | Men's Tennis
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Creighton men's tennis team suffered its first loss of the season, falling to UNLV, 6-1, on Monday afternoon at the Fertitta Tennis Complex in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Bluejays fall to 2-1 on the season after coming up short of its first 3-0 start since 2015. UNLV, however, improved to 1-0 with its season-opening victory.
"I'm very proud of our effort against a very deep UNLV team today," said head coach Gerhard Posch. "We had match point at the No. 3 doubles and the No. 1 doubles was in a tiebreaker, when UNLV clinched the doubles point. Half of the singles matches were then decided in the third set. When we continue to work on ourselves, we will win these types of duals, then it's just a matter of time."
The two teams battled back and forth in doubles play, before UNLV eventually secured the point. UNLV's Kemal Karakas and Illia Maksymchuk won the No. 2 doubles, 6-1, before Joel Gibson and Vitaliy Horovoy overcame a match-point to edged out Zachary Kuo and Kirtan Patel, 7-6, to clinch the doubles point at the No. 3 doubles position. Rocky McKenzie and Ethan Neil also locked into a tiebreaker at the No. 1 doubles position before their match was stopped.
UNLV went up 3-0 shortly into singles play when Joel Gibson captured a 6-0, 7-6 win over Neil on the No, 6 singles court and Thomas Navarro defeated Kuo, 6-4, 6-2 at the No. 3 singles position. The Runnin Rebels would then clinch the match moments later with a 6-3, 6-4 win at the No. 4 singles spot by Karakas.
Creighton's Alejandro Gandini and McKenzie were each forced into decisive third-set, but were unable to carry early match momentum as UNLV captured wins on the No. 1 and No. 5 singles courts.
Junior Yuma Daijima picked up Creighton's lone point of the day, closing out play by overcoming a one-set deficit to claim a 1-6, 7-5, 10-5 three-set victory over Dusan Rsovac at the No. 2 singles position.
The Bluejays will return to action again on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 11 a.m., when they travel to St. Peter, Minn. to battle Gustavus Adolphus.
Tennis Match Results
Creighton vs UNLV
1/20/25 at Las Vegas
(Fertitta Tennis Complex)
UNLV 6, Creighton 1
Singles competition
1. Illia Maksymchuk (UNLV) def. Alejandro Gandini (CU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
2. Yuma Daijima (CU) def. Dusan Rsovac (UNLV) 1-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-5)
3. Thomas Navarro (UNLV) def. Zachary Kuo (CU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Kemal Karakas (UNLV) def. Kirtan Patel (CU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Vitaliy Horovoy (UNLV) def. Rocky McKenzie (CU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-0
6. Joel Gibson (UNLV) def. Ethan Neil (CU) 6-0, 7-6
Doubles competition
1. Dusan Rsovac/Thomas Navarro (UNLV) vs. Rocky McKenzie/Ethan Neil (CU) 6-6, unfinished
2. Kemal Karakas/Illia Maksymchuk (UNLV) def. Yuma Daijima/Alejandro Gandini (CU) 6-1
3. Joel Gibson/Vitaliy Horovoy (UNLV) def. Zachary Kuo/Kirtan Patel (CU) 7-6
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles ()
The Bluejays fall to 2-1 on the season after coming up short of its first 3-0 start since 2015. UNLV, however, improved to 1-0 with its season-opening victory.
"I'm very proud of our effort against a very deep UNLV team today," said head coach Gerhard Posch. "We had match point at the No. 3 doubles and the No. 1 doubles was in a tiebreaker, when UNLV clinched the doubles point. Half of the singles matches were then decided in the third set. When we continue to work on ourselves, we will win these types of duals, then it's just a matter of time."
The two teams battled back and forth in doubles play, before UNLV eventually secured the point. UNLV's Kemal Karakas and Illia Maksymchuk won the No. 2 doubles, 6-1, before Joel Gibson and Vitaliy Horovoy overcame a match-point to edged out Zachary Kuo and Kirtan Patel, 7-6, to clinch the doubles point at the No. 3 doubles position. Rocky McKenzie and Ethan Neil also locked into a tiebreaker at the No. 1 doubles position before their match was stopped.
UNLV went up 3-0 shortly into singles play when Joel Gibson captured a 6-0, 7-6 win over Neil on the No, 6 singles court and Thomas Navarro defeated Kuo, 6-4, 6-2 at the No. 3 singles position. The Runnin Rebels would then clinch the match moments later with a 6-3, 6-4 win at the No. 4 singles spot by Karakas.
Creighton's Alejandro Gandini and McKenzie were each forced into decisive third-set, but were unable to carry early match momentum as UNLV captured wins on the No. 1 and No. 5 singles courts.
Junior Yuma Daijima picked up Creighton's lone point of the day, closing out play by overcoming a one-set deficit to claim a 1-6, 7-5, 10-5 three-set victory over Dusan Rsovac at the No. 2 singles position.
The Bluejays will return to action again on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 11 a.m., when they travel to St. Peter, Minn. to battle Gustavus Adolphus.
Tennis Match Results
Creighton vs UNLV
1/20/25 at Las Vegas
(Fertitta Tennis Complex)
UNLV 6, Creighton 1
Singles competition
1. Illia Maksymchuk (UNLV) def. Alejandro Gandini (CU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
2. Yuma Daijima (CU) def. Dusan Rsovac (UNLV) 1-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-5)
3. Thomas Navarro (UNLV) def. Zachary Kuo (CU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Kemal Karakas (UNLV) def. Kirtan Patel (CU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Vitaliy Horovoy (UNLV) def. Rocky McKenzie (CU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-0
6. Joel Gibson (UNLV) def. Ethan Neil (CU) 6-0, 7-6
Doubles competition
1. Dusan Rsovac/Thomas Navarro (UNLV) vs. Rocky McKenzie/Ethan Neil (CU) 6-6, unfinished
2. Kemal Karakas/Illia Maksymchuk (UNLV) def. Yuma Daijima/Alejandro Gandini (CU) 6-1
3. Joel Gibson/Vitaliy Horovoy (UNLV) def. Zachary Kuo/Kirtan Patel (CU) 7-6
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles ()
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3
#1 Singles Match
123
624
Illia Maksymchuk / 0 [UNLV]
466
#2 Singles Match
123
171
Dusan Rsovac / 0 [UNLV]
650
#3 Singles Match
12
42
Thomas Navarro / 0 [UNLV]
66
#4 Singles Match
12
34
Kemal Karakas / 0 [UNLV]
66
#5 Singles Match
123
610
Vitaliy Horovoy / 0 [UNLV]
266
#6 Singles Match
12
06
Joel Gibson / 0 [UNLV]
67
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
Creighton Men's Tennis Final Point and Celebration vs. Xavier, 4/19/25
Saturday, April 19
Creighton Men's Tennis Postgame vs. North Dakota, 3/30/25
Sunday, March 30
Creighton Women's Tennis Postgame vs. North Dakota, 3/29/25
Sunday, March 30
Crieghton Men's Tennis Postmatch vs. Butler, 2/16/25
Sunday, February 16
