WACO, Texas — Despite rallying back from trailing 5-3 in the second set, Pepperdine men's tennis junior Maxi Homberg's NCAA Singles Championship run ended with a 6-2, 7-5 loss to #6 Lui Maxted of TCU in the round of 16 on Thursday.
Homberg's run to the round of 16 is not only the longest of his career, but also the best run by any Wave in the singles draw since Alex Sarkissian reached the 2014 singles final.
Ranked No. 39 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles polls, Maxted was #103 Homberg's highest-ranked opponent of the fall season. Homberg broke Maxted once in his 6-2 first-set loss, then the Pepperdine junior needed to overcome an early break point loss in the second set to get back in the match.
Homberg played some of his best tennis of the morning in a 20-minute span late in the second set. Serving down 4-2, Homberg hit strong forehands and worked his way up to the net to find success in the seventh game. Good serving on game point helped Homberg hold, then Maxted's love hold in the eighth game kept the match on serve.
Playing with his back against the wall, Homberg fell behind 30-15 in the ninth game before winning the next two points to regain the lead. On deciding point, Homberg went for it. The junior charged the net with a forehand, then followed it with an overhead winner to win his first deciding point of the match. Reinvigorated in the next service game, Homberg won the next two points off Maxted before ultimately breaking Maxted for the first time of the set.
However, the positive momentum was short-lived for Homberg. Maxted broke back on deuce point in the eleventh game to take a 6-5 lead, then Maxted served out the match in the final game to win 6-2, 7-5.
All told, Homberg became the 52nd Wave to earn Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-American honors this fall. Ranked No. 103 in the ITA singles rankings, Homberg won the ITA West Sectionals title, made his first NCAA singles appearance and finished with an 8-6 record.
A full Pepperdine men's tennis spring schedule is forthcoming.
RESULTS
Singles Round of 16
#6 Lui Maxted (TCU) def. Maxi Homberg (PEPP) 6-2, 7-5
