MALIBU, Calif. — For the second straight match, the #7 Pepperdine women's tennis team came up empty in another heartbreaking, 4-3 loss to #15 UCLA at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center on Thursday afternoon.
With the result, which comes less than a week removed from falling 4-3 to California last Saturday, the Waves are 11-6 heading into West Coast Conference play. All six of Pepperdine's losses have been to top-15 teams this season.
The Bruins (15-4, 7-1 Pac-12) flexed their muscles in doubles, as they rode their two nationally-ranked teams to big wins. The deciding blow came courtesy of #36 Tian Fangran and Elise Wagle, who upset #2 Savannah Broadus and Janice Tjen 6-3 to clinch the doubles point.
However, losing the doubles point lit a fire in the Waves, who won four first sets in doubles. At the third position, #13 Broadus was a force to be reckoned with, dominating in a 6-2, 6-1 win over #68 Bianca Fernandez. Broadus went up a break early, then extended her lead to 3-0 before Fernandez held serve in the fourth game. From there, she won the first set easily 6-2 before going up 3-1 again in the second set. This time, however, Broadus won the last three games in the second set to finish off her straight-set win.
Shortly thereafter, #74 Nikki Redelijk won her match in an equally dominant fashion. Redelijk's match against Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer was on serve until Lutkemeyer was broken on a double fault in the fourth game. From there, Redelijk consolidated the break by rattling off four straight points before breaking Lutkemeyer again for a 5-1 lead. The Pepperdine senior held serve to win the first set 6-1, then broke Lutkemeyer immediately to start the second set. Redelijk took a 5-1 lead before Lutkemeyer won a break point and held serve to try staying in the match, but Redelijk won out in a 6-1, 6-3 win to give Pepperdine the lead.
The Waves' lead was short-lived. UCLA would win in straight sets at the sixth position to tie the match 2-2, leaving the match up to courts one, two and four. Pepperdine got a lift from #52 Tjen, who came from behind after losing a tiebreaker in the first set to upset the reigning NCAA singles champion #37 Tian Fangran in three sets. In the second set, Tjen broke Fangran on a double-fault in the eighth game, then Tjen held on deuce point to take a 5-4 lead. She then broke Fangran to win the second set and took over in the third set, capping off her 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-2 win.
With the remaining two matches in the third set, Pepperdine needed to win just one for the victory. At the second position, UCLA's #32 Kimmie Hance weathered a furious comeback attempt from #14 Lisa Zaar, who overcame a 4-0 deficit to tie the score at four games all. Hance would prevail 1-6, 6-4, 7-5, then Elise Wagle clinched the match with her 5-7, 7-6 (7), 6-3 win at the fourth position.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. #36 Tian Fangran/Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. #2 Savannah Broadus/Janice Tjen (PEPP) 6-3
2. #65 Anne Lutkemeyer/Kimmi Hance (UCLA) def. Nikki Redelijk/Vivian Yang (PEPP) 6-2
3. Jasmine Conway/Lisa Zaar (PEPP) vs. Bianca Fernandez/Ahmani Guichard (UCLA) 3-5, unfinished
Order of finish: 2,1
Singles
1. #52 Janice Tjen (PEPP) def. #37 Tian Fangran (UCLA) 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-2
2. #32 Kimmi Hance (UCLA) def. #14 Lisa Zaar (PEPP) 1-6, 6-4, 7-5
3. #13 Savannah Broadus (PEPP) def. #68 Bianca Fernandez (UCLA) 6-2, 6-1
4. Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. #94 Anna Campana (PEPP) 5-7, 7-6 (7), 6-3
5. #74 Nikki Redelijk (PEPP) def. Anne Lutkemeyer (UCLA) 6-1, 6-3
6. Ahmani Guichard (UCLA) def. Jasmine Conway (PEPP) 6-2, 6-4
Order of finish: 3,5,6,1,2,4*
UP NEXT: Pepperdine heads to the Pacific Northwest to face Portland and Gonzaga on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
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