MALIBU, California – The Pepperdine men's tennis program returned from a two-week break in a big way, defeating UCLA on Friday afternoon 4-1 at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center.
This was Pepperdine's first win over UCLA since the quarterfinals of the 2006 NCAA Championship, a match won by Pepperdine on its way to the national championship that year.
Pepperdine (4-4) started out strong in doubles, with
Pietro Fellin (Milan, Italy) and
Andrew Rogers (Brentwood, Tenn.) winning first on court one.
Corrado Summaria (Cosenza, Italy) and
Tim Zeitvogel (Baden-Baden, Germany) followed shortly after with the clinch on court three to seal the doubles point for the Waves.
The Waves wasted no time jumping on UCLA (4-4) early in singles, as Summaria defeated Karl Lee 7-5, 6-4 on court five as the first winner. Soon after, #13
Daniel De Jonge (Vlissingen, Netherlands) claimed a straight-set win on court one over Drew Baird by the same score of 7-5, 6-4 to open up a 3-0 lead for Pepperdine.
UCLA claimed a straight-set win on court three, but moments later
Eric Hadigan (Sacramento, Calif.) ultimately ended the match for the Waves, taking down Stefan Leustian in three sets 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 to give Pepperdine the match win.
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Head coach
Adam Schaechterle said: "Coach Martin is one of the best coaches in college tennis history and it's special to beat UCLA. I'm proud of our guys for how they've improved these past two weeks and trusted their growth. Thanks to all of our alums for coming back and helping build a great atmosphere. We are excited for a battle with USC tomorrow."
RESULTS
DOUBLES
Fellin/Rogers def. Pereira/Zahraj 6-3
De Jonge/Hadigian vs. Baird/Hoogmartens 2-5, unfinished
Summaria/Zeitvogel def. Lee/Revelli 6-2
Order of finish: 1, 3
SINGLES
#13
De Jonge def. Baird 7-6 (2), 6-4
#111
Zeitvogel vs. #59 Hoogmartens 5-7, 6-6 unfinished
Zahraj def. #49
Fellin 7-6 (6), 6-2
#24
Rogers vs. Revelli 7-6, 4-6 unfinished
Summaria def. Lee 7-5, 6-4
Hadigian def. Leustian 6-4, 3-6, 6-1*
Order of finish: 5, 1, 3, 6
NEXT UP: Pepperdine will be home again Saturday, February 26, for a matchup with #5 USC. Former head coach Allen Fox will be honored in a prematch ceremony beginning at 12:30 p.m., with the match to follow at 1 p.m. Visit pepperdinewaves.com/tickets for information on how to access your free e-ticket. While tickets are free, one must be obtained to receive entry to campus.
FOLLOW: Follow @PeppTennis on Facebook and Twitter for immediate updates, results and more. Go to pepperdinewaves.com for all information, releases and schedules.
