MALIBU Calif. — Reaching the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals for the fourth-straight tournament, the #9 Pepperdine Waves beat the #24 USC Trojans 4-1 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center on Saturday.
The match not only marked the Waves' (20-3, 7-0 WCC) twelfth win in a row over the Trojans (20-9, 6-4 Pac-12), but also the 16th-straight NCAA Tournament victory for Pepperdine in Malibu. Next Friday, Pepperdine will travel to Austin, Texas to face the 8-seed Texas Longhorns in the Sweet Sixteen.
Junior Janice Tjen (Jakarta, Indonesia) — who celebrated her birthday on Saturday — clinched the match for the Waves on the third line with her 7-5, 1-6, 6-1 victory over #43 Eryn Cayetano. Tjen, who is ranked #16 in the latest ITA singles polls, has won her last four singles matches.
Unlike the last time the two teams met earlier this season, Pepperdine prevailed in the doubles point. Nikki Redelijk (Windermere, Fla.) and Anna Campana (Hillsborough, Calif.) bolted out to a 6-1 win on court three, then the nation's #1 doubles team of Tjen and Savannah Broadus (Carrollton, Texas) notched another win over a top-20 team with its 6-3 win over #18 Madison Sieg and Cateyano.
Over in singles, Broadus won the first match for the Waves with a 6-4, 6-2 win on court two. Shortly thereafter, Campana prevailed 6-4, 6-4 on the sixth line to put Pepperdine up 3-0. USC would win on court four, yet Tjen's big win on court three closed the book on the match.
Earlier on Saturday, Texas swept #34 San Diego to earn its spot in the Sweet Sixteen. Next week will be the 29th all-time meeting between the Waves and the Longhorns. Pepperdine has won six of the last seven matches between the two teams.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
#1 Broadus/Tjen def. #18 Sieg/Cayetano 6-3
#59 Zaar/Thamchaiwat vs. #58 Han/Cheong 5-4, unfinished
Campana/Redelijk def. Charney/Rodilosso 6-1
Order of finish: 3,1
SINGLES
#34 Zaar vs. #11 Sieg 6-1, 3-6, 2-4, unfinished
#16 Broadus def. Han 6-4, 6-2
#19 Tjen def. #43 Cayetano 7-5, 1-6, 6-1
Charney, def. Thamchaiwat 6-3, 6-4
#117 Redelijk vs. Cheong 6-2, 3-6, 4-1, unfinished
Campana def. Piper 6-4, 6-4
Order of finish: 2,6,4,3*
NEXT UP: Pepperdine will travel to Austin to face the 8-seed Texas Longhorns next Friday, May 12. A start time has yet to be determined.
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