GREG BARNETT
Sports Editor
Pepperdine rival Loyola Marymount visited the No.-13 Waves tennis team Wednesday afternoon and didn’t score a point as the Waves won, 6-0. Due to the threat of rain, the teams skipped doubles and played six singles matches in which Pepperdine didn’t drop a set. With the win, the Waves have now won nine matches in a row and are 12-6 on the season.
Normal starters senior Omar Altmann and sophomore James Lemke didn’t play in the match because both would reach the 25-event limit for players if the team makes it all the way to the NCAA championships. Also, Lemke has a nagging hip flexor injury, which forced him to retire in a match last week.
Freshman Alejandro Moreno and junior Brian Brogan stepped into the lineup at the No.-5 and No.-6 singles positions. Head Coach Adam Steinberg said their play showed the depth of his team’s lineup.
“We had two of our starters out and the other guys stepped up,” he said. “I was really happy, it showed the depth of our team, which is our strength this year.”
In the No.-1 singles match, senior Andre Begemann, ranked No. 6 nationally, had no issues with his opponent, fellow senior Jacek Twarowski (6-3, 6-1). Begemann said he tried to get off the court as fast as possible, work on his volleys and stay focused.
“Against weaker opponents we try to work on stuff,” Begemann said. “Sometimes when I am up 30-15 or 40-15, I lose my focus a little bit, today I tried to stick my volleys instead of being too casual.”
Sophomore Bassam Beidas, ranked No. 21 nationally, said his back was hurting a bit during the match but he persevered to win his 12th consecutive singles match over freshman Ivan Lopez (6-2, 6-3).
“I’ve been getting higher on confidence the last 10 or 11 matches,” Beidas said. “I think I’m being more aggressive than I was maybe last year, coming to the net more and finishing more at the net.”
In the quickest match of the day, sophomore Mahmoud Kamel didn’t lose a game against senior Sam Tadevosian in the No.-3 match (6-0, 6-0). Rickus de Villiers added an impressive victory in the No.-4 singles match over freshman Johan Berhof (6-1, 6-1).
Moreno’s match finished last in front of all his teammates and he posted a solid victory over freshman Aris Andreasian in the No.-5 singles (6-3, 6-1). Finally, Brogan easily won his match in the No.-6 singles over sophomore Dmitry Popov (6-1, 6-0).
The Waves continue their home stand Sunday against Fresno State at 1 p.m.
“We’re excited, we’re playing our best tennis at the most important time,” Steinberg said.
04-03-2008
