Pepperdine Team Page
SEATTLE – The #5 Pepperdine men’s tennis team avenged last year’s loss to Florida by defeating the #11 Gators 4-1 in first-round action at the ITA National Indoor Championship. The Waves won a closely contested doubles point before relying on its strength in singles to clinch the victory.
The battle for the doubles point came down to the bitter end, as all three matches were decided by three games or less.
Finn Tearney (Wellington, New Zealand/Wellington College) and Francis Alcantara (Cagayan de Oro, Philippines/Fresno State) edged Gordon Watson and Billy Federhofer in the top match 8-6, while Sebastian Fanselow (Essen, Germany/Kaplan College Prep) and Alex Sarkissian (Glendale, Calif./Glendale CC) posted an 8-5 decision on court two.
The Gators (6-1) earned the victory on court three.
Fanselow, the fourth-ranked singles player in the country, proved worthy of the high acclaim, downing #76 Bob van Overbeek 6-2, 6-1.
On court four, Alcantara registered a convincing 6-2, 6-0 triumph over Watson. Tearney clinched the dual for the Waves, now 6-0 on the season, after defeating #36 Florent Diep 6-3, 6-1.
Florida scored a point before play was suspended with a win courtesy of Mike Alford.
The last time the Waves and Gators met was during the first round of the 2012 ITA National Indoor Championship. Although Florida edged the Waves 4-3, Pepperdine got itself back on track by the end of the tournament. The win over Cal in its final match of the event was its first of a program-record 24 match win streak.
Pepperdine faces #4 Ohio State in tomorrow’s quarterfinal. First serve is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and live scores can be followed at the ITA National Indoor Championship Tournament Central.
Florida vs Pepperdine
Feb 15, 2013 at Seattle, Wash.
(Seattle Tennis Club)
#5 Pepperdine 4, #11 Florida 1
Singles
1. #4 Sebastian Fanselow (PEP) def. #76 Bob van Overbeek (FLA) 6-2, 6-1
2. #105 Finn Tearney (PEP) def. #36 Florent Diep (FLA) 6-3, 6-1
3. #89 Alex Sarkissian (PEP) vs. #108 Stephane Piro (FLA) 2-6, 1-2, unfinished
4. Francis Alcantara (PEP) def. Gordon Watson (FLA) 6-2, 6-0
5. Mike Alford (FLA) def. Mousheg Hovhannisyan (PEP) 6-2, 6-3
6. David Sofaer (PEP) vs. Billy Federhofer (FLA) 6-2, 1-4, unfinished
Doubles
1. Francis Alcantara/Finn Tearney (PEP) def. Gordon Watson/Billy Federhofer (FLA) 8-6
2. Sebastian Fanselow/Alex Sarkissian (PEP) def. #46 Florent Diep/Mike Alford (FLA) 8-5
3. Bob van Overbeek/Stephane Piro (FLA) def. David Sofaer/Mousheg Hovhannisyan (PEP) 8-5
Match Notes:
Florida 6-1; National ranking #11
Pepperdine 6-0; National ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (1,4,5,2)
