MALIBU, Calif. - The #17 Pepperdine men's tennis team got its spring dual-match season underway with a 6-1 victory over Cal Poly on Wednesday afternoon at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center.

It was a long-awaited debut, as the Waves (1-0) had four postponements in the last week and a half due to rain. Pepperdine had three freshmen in the starting lineup. It was also the season debut for the Mustangs (0-1).

"That was the closest 6-1 match I've ever been a part of," Pepperdine Coach Adam Steinberg said. "Cal Poly is a very improved team from last year. We were a little nervous and we looked a little young. We haven't played in a while and it showed. But we'll get it together before Saturday and we'll play well this weekend."

The Waves won the first doubles match at #3 by a score of 8-6, but the other two matches went to 7-7. At #1 doubles, the Mustangs were serving at 40-love, but the Waves' tandem of senior Bassam Beidas (Cairo, Egypt) and sophomore Hugh Clarke (Brisbane, Australia) fought back to win the break, and then Clarke served out the match to clinch the doubles point for Pepperdine. The Waves also won 9-7 at #2 doubles for good measure.

Pepperdine clinched the match by winning the first three singles matches in straight sets, though the Waves were pushed in each of them. Steinberg singled out the play of freshman Mousheg Hovhannisyan (North Hollywood, Calif.), who won 6-2, 7-6 at #2 singles.

"Mousheg just got here and I'm proud of him for winning in straight sets," Steinberg said. "He did a really good job. He just arrived here in January and we threw him up there, but deservedly so, and he played well."

The Waves next won at the #1 and #5 singles positions in three sets. Cal Poly claimed the final point of the match with a super-tiebreaker at #6 singles.

Pepperdine next heads over to UCLA for the Second Annual ITA Kickoff Weekend. The winner of the four-team event will earn a spot at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in mid-February. The Waves face South Florida on Saturday (Jan. 30) at 9 a.m., and will face either UCLA or Hawaii on Sunday.

#17 Pepperdine 6, Cal Poly 1

Doubles

• 1) Bassam Beidas-Hugh Clarke (PEP) def. Matt Faucett-Robert Foy (CP), 9-7
• 2) #52 Alex Llompart-Finn Tearney (PEP) def. Jordan Bridge-Alexander Sonesson (CP), 9-7
• 3) Sebastian Fanselow-Mousheg Hovhannisyan (PEP) def. Drew Jacobs-Robert Zacks (CP), 8-6

Order of finish: 3, 2, 1

Singles

• 1) #90 Bassam Beidas (PEP) def. Matt Faucett (CP), 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
• 2) Mousheg Hovhannisyan (PEP) def. Drew Jacobs (CP), 6-2, 7-6
• 3) #70 Alex Llompart (PEP) def. Alexander Sonesson (CP), 6-3, 7-5
• 4) #96 Sebastian Fanselow (PEP) def. Jordan Bridge (CP), 7-5, 7-6
• 5) Finn Tearney (PEP) def. Robert Foy (CP), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
• 6) Brian McPhee (CP) def. Daniel Moss (PEP), 7-5, 6-7, 10-7

Order of finish: 3, 2, 4, 1, 5, 6

Exhibition: Alejandro Moreno (PEP) def. Sebastian Bell (CP), 6-4, 6-3