BERKELEY, Calif. — The #20 Pepperdine women's tennis team took the doubles point, but the #72 California Golden Bears won five singles matches to flip the script and hand the Waves a 5-2 loss at Hellman Tennis Complex on Thursday afternoon.
At first, the Waves (5-8) took the doubles point with two convincing wins on courts one and two over the Golden Bears (3-4). Pepperdine's No. 7 doubles team of Savannah Broadus and Vivian Yang put up a 6-3 win over Cal's No. 47 team of Jessica Alsola and Mao Mushika at the first position. However, Cal tied the score with a win on court three before Pepperdine's No. 81 team of Anastasiia Grechkina and Alexia Harmon held serve for a 6-4 win over Lan Mi and Greta Greco Lucchina on court two.
Unfortunately for Pepperdine, California won four first sets in singles en route to reclaiming the lead. Although the score held at 1-0 Pepperdine for an hour, California tacked on three straight-set singles wins on courts one, three and four to go up 3-1.
On court six, reigning West Coast Conference Singles Player of the Week Duru Söke helped tack on another point for the Waves. Playing two close sets, Söke broke Xu on deciding point in the ninth game of the second set before serving out the match for her 6-4, 6-4 win.
However, California went on to clinch the match on court two with Jessica Alsola's three-set win, returning the favor for Pepperdine's 5-2 win in Malibu back in February.
The Waves return to Malibu to host #33 Oklahoma State on Sunday, March 16. First serve is at 2 p.m.
RESULTS
Singles
1. #40 Mao Mushika (CAL) def. #13 Savannah Broadus (PEPP) 6-3, 6-1
2. Jessica Alsola (CAL) def. #59 Anastasiia Grechkina (PEPP) 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-2
3. #86 Lan Mi (CAL) def. #102 Vivian Yang (PEPP) 6-1, 7-6 (4)
4. #110 Greta Greco Lucchina (CAL) def. Sebastianna Scilipoti (PEPP) 7-6 (3), 6-3
5. Berta Passola Folch (CAL) def. Alexia Harmon (PEPP), 6-4, 5-7, 4-2 retired
6. Duru Soke (PEPP) def. Naomi Xu (CAL) 6-4, 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 3, 4, 6, 2*, 5
Doubles
1. #7 Savannah Broadus/Vivian Yang (PEPP) def. #47 Jessica Alsola/Mao Mushika (CAL) 6-3
2. #81 Anastasiia Grechinka/Alexia Harmon (PEPP) def. Lan Mi/Greta Greco Lucchina 6-4
3. Berta Passola Folch/Naomi Xu (CAL) def. Duru Söke/Sebastianna Scilipoti (PEPP) 6-4
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2*
