College Tennis News - #12 Men's Tennis Suffers 4-1 Loss to #9 Ohio State

MALIBU, Calif. – The #12 Pepperdine men’s tennis team suffered a 4-1 loss to #9 Ohio State today on the courts of the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center. The Waves drop to 10-4 on the season, while the Buckeyes improve to 14-2.

OSU snagged the early edge after a close doubles battle before clinching the dual in singles.

Although the Buckeyes got the break in the opening game on court one, Finn Tearney (Wellington, New Zealand/Wellington College) and Francis Alcantara (Cagayan de Oro, Philippines/Fresno State) stormed back to beat Connor Smith and Kevin Metka, 8-3. The Waves’ top duo really hit their stride today, returning laser shots from point-blank range at the net to control the tempo.

Ohio State’s Blaz Rola and Ille Van Engelen evened the score with an 8-2 triumph from court two, leaving the match at No. 3 doubles to determine the fate of the doubles point.

Mousheg Hovhannisyan (North Hollywood, Calif./Continental Academy) and David Sofaer (Bellevue Hill, Australia/Sydney Distance Education HS) led by a break, 5-3, before Devin McCarthy and Hunter Callahan fought back to knot the score at 5-all.

With the bulk of the crowd migrated over to court three, Sofaer held serve to take the lead back once again. In the next game, the Waves held the Buckeyes at love to take a 7-5 advantage and send Hovhannisyan to the line to serve for the match.

McCarthy and Callahan would stop Pepperdine from closing it out, however, and won the next four games to win 9-7 and give OSU a 1-0 lead heading into singles.

The momentum from doubles carried over into singles for the Buckeyes, who won three matches to clinch the dual.

Tearney put a point on the board for Pepperdine, downing Ille Van Engelen, 6-4, 6-2.

Unfortunately for the Waves it would be the only win of the day, as play was suspended after Ohio State secured the victory.

The Waves continue this week’s action on Saturday, March 16, with a 1 p.m. match vs. #16 California. Live video is available and can be accessed here.

Ohio State vs Pepperdine
Mar 12, 2013 at Malibu, Calif.
(Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center)

#9 Ohio State 4, #12 Pepperdine 1
Singles
1. #20 Blaz Rola (OSU) def. #11 Sebastian Fanselow (PEP) 6-3, 1-0, retired
2. #124 Devin McCarthy (OSU) def. #53 Francis Alcantara (PEP) 6-4, 6-3
3. #83 Finn Tearney (PEP) def. Ille Van Engelen (OSU) 6-4, 6-2
4. #107 Alex Sarkissian (PEP) vs. #45 Chris Diaz (OSU) 6-2, 4-6, 5-6, unfinished
5. #37 Connor Smith (OSU) def. Mousheg Hovhannisyan (PEP) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
6. David Sofaer (PEP) vs. Hunter Callahan (OSU) 5-7, 4-3, unfinished

Doubles
1. #47 Finn Tearney/Francis Alcantara (PEP) def. Connor Smith/Kevin Metka (OSU) 8-3
2. Blaz Rola/Ille Van Engelen (OSU) def. Sebastian Fanselow/Alex Sarkissian (PEP) 8-2
3. Devin McCarthy/Hunter Callahan (OSU) def. Mousheg Hovhannisyan/David Sofaer (PEP) 9-7

Match Notes:
Ohio State 15-2; National ranking #9
Pepperdine 10-4; National ranking #12
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,3,2,5)