#12 Waves' Solid Singles Effort Leads to 4-3 Victory Over #16 Cal

Finn Tearney clinched dual victory for Pepperdine with dramatic three-set win in singles.

Finn Tearney

March 16, 2013

Complete Results

BERKELEY, Calif. – Although the #16-ranked California men’s tennis team opened the day with a win in doubles, #12 Pepperdine responded with four singles victories to win the dual 4-3. Senior Finn Tearney provided the difference maker for the Waves, coming back from a set down to win in three and clinch the team win.

Mousheg Hovhannisyan (North Hollywood, Calif./Continental Academy) and David Sofaer (Bellevue Hill, Australia/Sydney Distance Education HS) won in the No. 3 spot in the doubles lineup for Pepperdine (11-4), but the Golden Bears claimed victory on courts No. 1 and No. 2 to take the doubles point.

Sofaer continued his winning ways in singles, defeating Nikhil Jayashankar, 6-1, 6-3, to put the Waves on the board.

Cal went back in front after #57 Ben McLachlan won from the top spot in the lineup, but Alex Sarkissian (Glendale, Calif./Glendale CC) knotted the score at 2-2 with a straight-set win over Gregory Bayane.

Once again, the Bears went ahead only see the Waves tie the score back up. Hovhannisyan grinded out a 12-10 victory in the first-set tiebreaker before rolling to a 6-1 triumph in set two versus Mads Engsted to tie things 3-3.

Despite falling 6-3 in the opening frame against #63 Chris Konigsfeldt, Tearney (Wellington, New Zealand/Wellington College) rallied back to win sets two and three and put point No. 4 on the board for Pepperdine. Tearney is now 11-2 in duals this season and a team-best 17-5 overall.

The Waves host a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 20 at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center beginning at 11 a.m. vs. PCH Cup rival Loyola Marymount. The day’s action continues at 4 p.m. vs. Princeton. Live scores will be available for both matches here.

Pepperdine vs California
Mar 16, 2013 at Berkeley, Calif.
(Hellman Tennis Complex)

#12 Pepperdine 4, #16 California 3
Singles
1. #57 Ben McLachlan (CAL) def. #11 Sebastian Fanselow (PEP) 6-2, 6-3
2. #83 Finn Tearney (PEP) def. #63 Chris Konigsfeldt (CAL) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
3. #47 Campbell Johnson (CAL) def. #53 Francis Alcantara (PEP) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
4. #107 Alex Sarkissian (PEP) def. Gregory Bayane (CAL) 6-4, 7-5
5. Mousheg Hovhannisyan (PEP) def. Mads Engsted (CAL) 7-6 (12-10), 6-1
6. David Sofaer (PEP) def. Nikhil Jayashankar (CAL) 6-1, 6-3

Doubles
1. #33 Campbell Johnson/Chris Konigsfeldt (CAL) def. #47 Finn Tearney/Francis Alcantara (PEP) 8-3
2. Ben McLachlan/Mads Engsted (CAL) def. Sebastian Fanselow/Alex Sarkissian (PEP) 8-4
3. David Sofaer/Mousheg Hovhannisyan (PEP) def. Gregory Bayane/Chase Melton (CAL) 8-5

Match Notes:
Pepperdine 11-4; National ranking #12
California 7-6; National ranking #16
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (6,1,4,3,5,2)

Head Coach Adam Steinberg

2012-13 Season

Pepperdine Points

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