Pepperdine Team Page

MALIBU, Calif. – With the 2013 dual season fast approaching, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association released the first installment of the team, singles and doubles rankings today. The Pepperdine men’s squad landed at #7 on the opening poll, while the women’s team begins the dual campaign ranked #33.

The women’s team, which opens the season at home on Jan. 31 against #4 USC, was one of three West Coast Conference schools to earn a spot in the top-75. Saint Mary’s opens the year ranked #42, while 2012 WCC Champion San Diego sits in the #48 spot.

After a phenomenal fall season, Khunpak Issara (Bangkok, Thailand/Bangkok Patana School) and Lorraine Guillermo (Walnut, Calif./Rowland HS) were rewarded with a #4 ranking in the doubles poll. The duo won the back draw of the Riviera/ITA All-American Championship back in October to earn a bid to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship in New York.

Issara and Guillermo reached the semifinals of the national championship event to finish the fall campaign with a 7-2 record. The pair delivered a 6-2 record when up against ranked opponents, including 2-0 versus top-10 doubles teams.

The Pepperdine duo earned All-American status in 2012 when they reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship in Athens, Ga.

Both Issara and Guillermo earned spots in the singles rankings as well. Issara, who went 5-3 in the fall, opens her senior dual campaign ranked #92, while Guillermo, who went a team-best 7-1 during the tournament season, is listed at #104.

Just two other players represent the WCC in the singles rankings including Santa Clara’s Katie Le (#26) and Jenny Jullien (#6) of Saint Mary’s.

The Pepperdine men’s team, who reached the semifinals of the 2012 NCAA Championship, begin the 2013 dual campaign ranked #7 – by far the highest team ranking of any school in the West Coast Conference. San Diego also appears in the polls at #27, followed by Santa Clara (#36) and BYU (#58).

Sebastian Fanselow (Essen, Germany/Kaplan College Prep), despite missing much of the fall season due to injury, was tremendous when active and starts his senior dual campaign ranked #6. Fanselow was the runner-up champion at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship after defeating the tournament’s top seed (Virginia’s Alex Domijan) in the semifinal round.

Fanselow, a two-time singles All-American, is 60-33 in singles (dual match only) and is on pace to rank in the Waves’ top-10 for career wins by season’s end.

Fellow WCC players Romain Kolaydjian (San Diego) and John Lamble (Santa Clara) also appeared in the singles rankings at #62 and #65, respectively.

The men’s team begins dual action on Jan. 20 at home against Pacific.