College Tennis News - Waves Sweep Saint Mary's at Riviera Country Club

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – The #7 Pepperdine men’s tennis team won its 10th straight dual with a 7-0 shutout over Saint Mary’s at nearby Riviera Country Club early Friday evening. The Waves laid claim to the doubles point before winning all six singles matches in straight sets.

The Waves are now 20-4 on the season, marking the 29th time since 1958 the team has reached 20 wins in a single campaign.

Finn Tearney (Wellington, New Zealand/Wellington College) and Alex Sarkissian (Glendale, Calif./Glendale CC) set the tone with a dominating 8-0 win from the No. 2 spot in the lineup. Mousheg Hovhannisyan (North Hollywood, Calif./Continental Academy) and David Sofaer (Bellevue Hill, Australia/Sydney Distance Education HS) followed suit, downing Seif El Sherbini and Thomas Hunt 8-2.

The momentum carried over into singles and Francis Alcantara (Cagayan de Oro, Philippines/Fresno State) blanked Samuel Bloore 6-0, 6-0.

Sofaer came up just one game shy of the complete shutout, and settled for a 6-1, 6-0 win over James Markiewicz.

Sebastian Fanselow (Essen, Germany/Kaplan College Prep), Tearney and Sarkissian held down the top three spots in the lineup with straight-set wins, while Hovhannisyan also won in two sets, 6-3, 6-3, from the No. 4 position.

The Waves continue action tomorrow, April 13, at home at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center against #38 San Diego. Match time is set for 3 p.m. and live scores can be followed here.

Tennis Match Results
Saint Mary's (CA) vs Pepperdine
Apr 12, 2013 at Pacific Palisades, Calif.
(Riviera Country Club)

#7 Pepperdine 7, Saint Mary's (CA) 0
Singles
1. #16 Sebastian Fanselow (PEP) def. #100 Jesse Kiuru (SMC) 6-2, 6-1
2. #88 Finn Tearney (PEP) def. Tuomas Manner (SMC) 6-3, 6-3
3. Alex Sarkissian (PEP) def. Seif El Sherbini (SMC) 6-1, 6-2
4. #80 Francis Alcantara (PEP) def. Samuel Bloore (SMC) 6-0, 6-0
5. Mousheg Hovhannisyan (PEP) def. Thomas Hunt (SMC) 6-3, 6-3
6. David Sofaer (PEP) def. James Markiewicz (SMC) 6-1, 6-0

Doubles
1. Sebastian Fanselow/Francis Alcantara (PEP) vs. Jesse Kiuru/Joakim Norstrom (SMC) unfinished
2. Finn Tearney/Alex Sarkissian (PEP) def. Tuomas Manner/Samuel Bloore (SMC) 8-0
3. Mousheg Hovhannisyan/David Sofaer (PEP) def. Seif El Sherbini/Thomas Hunt (SMC) 8-2

Match Notes:
Saint Mary's (CA) 9-11, 3-3
Pepperdine 20-4, 6-0 WCC; National ranking #7