Only two-and-a-half weeks into the season the Pepperdine men’s tennis team notched its first tournament victory. On Saturday and Sunday the Waves hosted the ITA National Team Indoor qualifying matches against Denver and Alabama. The Waves defeated Denver 6-1 and advanced to the finals against Alabama where they squeaked out a 4-3 victory. Yesterday the team returned to the West Coast Conference play to take on San Diego. Pepperdine (6-2) won 5-2.
On Saturday junior Bassam Beidas continued his hot streak picking up a win in both doubles and singles. Beidas along with senior Omar Altmann defeated Denver’s Martin Zimmerman and David Simson 8-5. Beidas went on to knock off Zimmerman once more in singles with a 6-1 7-5 win and Altmann secured his singles match against Simson 7-6 8-6 6-3.
Freshman Hugh Clarke also had a big day adding two more wins for the Waves. Clarke and fellow freshman Alex Llompart defeated Denver’s Johan Gunnarsson and Yannick Weihs 8-2. Clarke finished off the day by posting a 6-3 4-6 6-3 win over Gunnarsson once more.
Sophomore Alejandro Moreno also defeated Ravjot Dhatt 6-2 6-2.
“We played well today but [Sunday] we need to come out with more intensity and keep it up for the whole match Moreno said, following the first day’s play.
And that they did.
Heading into the finals the Waves were a slight underdog, but nonetheless played up to their billing. Alabama, ranked 23rd in the country according to the ITA, had an undefeated 3-0 record coming into the match. Meanwhile, Pepperdine held the No.-24 spot.
Both teams did not disappoint.
Behind yet another strong showing from Altmann and Beidas, the Waves captured the doubles point.
In singles, upset” was the name of the game. No.-123 Beidas upended No.-69 Mathieu Thibaudeau 6-2 6-2 in decisive fashion. Llompart despite his inexperience at the collegiate level kept his composure and defeated Alabama senior Billy Mertz 6-2 6-2 for his fifth straight singles win.
The Waves won the qualifying tournament 4-3 clinching a spot in the National Team Indoor competition which will be held Feb. 13-16 in Chicago Ill.
On Wednesday Freshmen Daniel Moss and Jenson Turner made quick work of San Diego’s Nicola Bubnic and Tom Wolff winning 8-6.
“I feel like Moss and I have good camaraderie Turner said. We started off strong and let up a few times but overall I’m just happy we could close it out at the end. I was really stepping into my returns which was good … definitely the best part of the day for me.”
The Egyptian duo of Beidas and Altmann also won 8-4 to capture the doubles point for the Waves.The No.-20 Waves play host to No.-4 UCLA on Saturday at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center.