ORLANDO, Fla. — Pepperdine seniors Daniel De Jonge and Tim Zeitvogel saw their season end in the semifinals of the NCAA Doubles Tournament with a three-set loss to Ohio State's James Trotter and Andrew Lutschaunig, held at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
The Waves duo won the first set 6-3, yet the Buckeyes won the second-set tiebreaker 7-2 en route to winning the super-breaker 10-4 in order to punch their ticket to the national title game. Despite the loss, De Jonge and Zeitvogel are the third doubles team under current head coach Adam Schaechterle to earn All-American status and the second to make the semifinals. They will leave Pepperdine as the 50th and 51st All-Americans in program history.
The first set was a back-and-forth affair, as both teams failed to hold serve until De Jonge and Zeitvogel held serve at 2-1. The Buckeyes broke back in the next game, yet the Pepperdine duo responded with an easy hold to take the lead. The sixth game provided some drama, as De Jonge and Zeitvogel faced two-straight game points, but won with a 12-shot rally, then a return winner from De Jonge to put the Waves up a break. The Waves faced another deuce point in the next game, but held serve to take a 5-2 lead they wouldn't relinquish. Both teams held serve in the next two games, giving the Waves a 6-3 first-set win.
Unlike the first set, the second set was close, as neither team led by more than a break throughout. Both teams held serve in the second set until De Jonge and Zeitvogel broke Ohio State, however, the Buckeyes broke back and held serve, finishing off the game with its first of two aces in the second set. From that point forward, both teams held serve. Pepperdine tied the set at five games apiece by rattling off four-straight points and the Buckeyes held serve, setting up a pivotal game with the Waves trailing 6-5. Strong volleying from De Jonge at the net helped the Waves hold serve and force a tiebreak. But in the tiebreak, the Buckeyes broke the Waves then went up a break on the next point and didn't look back in their 7-2 tiebreak win.
The Buckeyes used carried momentum from the tiebreak into the decisive third-set tiebreaker. Pepperdine held serve then the Buckeyes broke back and went up a break by winning a nine-shot rally in what would be the longest of the super breaker. Although Ohio State would get out to a 5-2 lead after the change-over, an ace from De Jonge and a winner from Zeitvogel on the next point help the Waves hold serve. Yet the Waves wouldn't get any closer. Ohio State would break Pepperdine, then go up a break and win six consecutive points to win the super breaker.
RESULTS
#14 Trotter/Lutschaunig def. #64 De Jonge/Zeitvogel 3-6, 7-6 (3), (10-4)
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