MALIBU, Calif. – Jessica Failla of the fourth-ranked Pepperdine women's tennis team defeated Jada Hart in three sets to clinch the nail-biter for the Waves at 4-3 over the fifth-ranked UCLA Bruins.
#33 Failla has yet to lose a dual singles match this season.
RESULTS
#4 Pepperdine 4, #5 UCLA 3
Singles
1. #7 Forbes, Abbey (UCLA) def.
#1 Lahey, Ashley (PEPP) 6-1, 6-4
2.
#33 Failla, Jessica (PEPP) def. #19 Hart, Jada (UCLA) 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4
3.
#12 Fukuda, Shiori (PEPP) def. #113 Vagramov, Sasha (UCLA) 7-6(3), 6-3
4.
#88 Pachkaleva, Taisiya (PEPP) def. Altick, Abi (UCLA) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
5. Goulak, Annette (UCLA) def.
Redelijk, Nikki (PEPP) 6-4, 6-3
6.
Zaar, Lisa (PEPP) def. #119 Ong, Vanessa (UCLA) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles
1
. Failla, Jessica/Fukuda, Shiori (PEPP) vs. Forbes, Abbey/Hart, Jada (UCLA) 2-5, unfinished
2. Wolff, Vivian/Goulak, Annette (UCLA) def.
Lahey, Ashley/Redelijk, Nikki (PEPP) 6-2
3. Johnson, Taylor/Altick, Abi (UCLA) def.
Zaar, Lisa/Pachkaleva, Taisiya (PEPP) 6-1
RECAP
The Waves began the four-hour-long match in doubles, where the Bruins took no time in clinching on courts two and three for the first team point.
Down 3-1 at one point, the Waves never said die. After a
Lisa Zaar win on court six, #88
Taisiya Pachkaleva delivered another Pepperdine blow on court four, going 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 on court four to put the overall score at 2-3 still in favor of the Bruins.
On court three, #12
Shiori Fukuda need a tie break in her first set but eventually won 7-6(3) before drilling #113 Sasha Vagramov 6-3 in the second to even the overall score at 3-3.
All eyes turned to court two, where #33 Failla took on #19 Jada Hart- another Los Angeles local who Failla had been training with since competing in juniors. Like Fukuda, Failla also needed a tie-breaking first set, going 7-6(3). After stumbling 6-4 in the second, Failla returned the favor, going 6-4 after trading games with Hart in the third for the heroic clinch point.
UP NEXT
The #4 Waves head to Troy for their third match-up against #21 USC this season. First serve is set for 12 p.m.
