MALIBU, Calif. — If the Pepperdine men's tennis team was rusty, it certainly didn't show it.
Making their return from a 10-day break from dual match action, the No. 28 Waves routed the No. 39 Vanderbilt Commodores 5-1 at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon.
After taking the doubles point, the Waves (8-5, 1-0 WCC) got straight-set wins from David Fix, No. 47 Maxi Homberg and No. 69 Edward Winter to win the match. From there, only two matches were played out: Vanderbilt got on the board with a win on court five, then Lasse Poertner wrapped up the match with his straight-set win on court four.
Unlike last year's match between the two teams, which Homberg clinched in a 4-3 win, Sunday's match was relatively one-sided. The biggest challenge Pepperdine had to overcome was in doubles play, which saw Vanderbilt take a lead on court one and hang around on the other courts before the Waves seized control late.
Pepperdine's doubles wins came from familiar places. On court three, the freshman duo of Pisaric and Poertner traded breaks with Henry Ruger and Giuseppe Cerasuolo before the Waves broke the Commodores on deciding point for a 4-2 lead. The match was played on serve from that point forward, and the Waves wrapped up their 6-3 win when Pisaric's serving set up an easy overhead from Poertner at the net.
Moments later, the Waves' veteran team of No. 72 Linus Carlsson Halldin and Homberg clinched the doubles point with their 6-4 win over Pablo Martinez-Gomez and Danil Panarin. A break point winner from Pepperdine in the third game was the difference, as both teams served out the match. Despite Vanderbilt saving a match point on deuce point in the ninth game, Carlsson Halldin served out the 6-4 win, which Homberg clinched on an overhead at the net.
Not letting up in singles play, the Waves won four first sets en route to winning four straight-set matches. On court six, David Fix broke Hugo Coquelin in the fourth game and blazed through his first set to win 6-1 in less than 25 minutes. Fix promptly went up a break in the second set before a love hold from Coquelin got the Commodore sophomore on the board. After Fix broke Coquelin on deuce point for a 4-1 lead, Coquelin eventually climbed back in the match, tying the score at four games all. But Fix broke Coquelin in the ninth game and served out his 6-1, 6-4 win — his fifth victory of the year.
The next 10 minutes were a barrage of match points.
Over on court two, No. 47 Maxi Homberg served out his 6-3, 6-1 win over Danil Panarin. After winning his first set, Homberg rattled off five-consecutive games in the second set before Panarin broke Homberg on deuce point to get on the board. But Homberg returned the favor in the next game, breaking Panarin at deuce by working his way up to the net and winning a 12-hit rally.
Moments later, No. 69 Edward Winter broke Nathan Cox on court one to clinch the match with his routine 6-2, 6-1 win. In the second set, the Pepperdine sophomore broke Cox in the first game before taking a double-break lead in the fifth game. In Cox's final service game, Winter went up 40-30 before Cox double-faulted on match point, handing the match to Pepperdine.
Two of the remaining matches were played out. Henry Ruger helped Vanderbilt avoid the sweep on court five with his straight-set win, then Lasse Poertner capped off his 6-2, 6-1 victory over Michael Ross on court four.
Pepperdine stays in Malibu for another ranked match against #46 Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday. First serve is at 2 p.m.
RESULTS
Singles
1. #69 Edward Winter (PEPP) def. Nathan Cox (VANDY) 6-2, 6-1
2. #47 Maxi Homberg (PEPP) def. Danil Panarin (VANDY) 6-3, 6-1
3. Linus Carlsson Halldin (PEPP) vs. Pablo Martinez-Gomez (VANDY) 4-6, 2-3, unfinished
4. Lasse Poertner (PEPP) def. Michael Ross (VANDY) 6-2, 6-1
5. Henry Ruger (VANDY) def. Aleksa Pisaric (PEPP) 6-1, 6-3
6. David Fix (PEPP) def. Hugo Coquelin (VANDY) 6-1, 6-4
Order of finish: 6,2,1*,5,4
Doubles
1. Edward Winter/Hugh Winter (PEPP) vs. #28 Michael Ross/Nathan Cox (VANDY) 4-5, unfinished
2. #72 Linus Carlsson Halldin/Maxi Homberg (PEPP) def. Danil Panarin/Pablo Martinez-Gomez (VANDY) 6-4
3. Aleksa Pisaric/Lasse Poertner (PEPP) def. Henry Ruger/Giuseppe Cerasuolo (VANDY) 6-3
Order of finish: 3,2*
