San Diego, Calif. (Barnes Tennis Center) - Sophomore Dean Jackson, ranked #56 in the recently issued April 14th ITA poll, upset the #45 pick Omar Altmann of Pepperdine but it was unfortunately not enough, as the University of San Diego Men's Tennis team would ultimately drop a hard-fought match to the WCC tennis powerhouse. San Diego fell 4-1 to the #17 Waves, who took home their 21st WCC Championship with the win.

 

Pepperdine, which features a Top-10 doubles pair in Altmann and teammate Bassam Beidas, quickly flexed their muscle by taking the doubles point. Competing at No. 1, Jackson and sophomore Nils Schive would battle it out against the 9th ranked Pepperdine pair but finally fell, 8-4. San Diego would not go quietly however, as junior Charl Wolmarans and freshman Nikola Bubnic would leave Hugh Clark and Mahmound Kamel seeing double, securing an 8-2 decision at Court 2. But Pepperdine would soon follow with a clinching win at No. 3, as Alex Llompart and Jensen Turner powered past freshman Juan de Villiers and senior Chris Coetzee, 8-6.

 

On the terrific and often fiery play of Jackson, the Toreros would get even with the Waves once moving in to the singles competition. Facing off against Altmann at No. 1, Jackson was ruthless, taking the first set quite easily by a final of 6-2. Altmann would push back in the second set but Jackson with an unparalleled competitive edge would pull away, capturing a 7-5 final set and the first Torero point.

  

Unfortunately, this is the closest the Toreros would get, dropping the next three matches in succession. On Court 2, Wolmarans was unable to pull out a win against 33rd ranked Beidas, falling 7-5, 6-1. Senior Chris Coetzee took the first set (6-3) but would eventually fall in the next two (6-2, 6-4) and surrender the point to Llompart at No. 3 singles. Not willing to give the WCC championship title up without a fight, Bubnic would challenge Kamel on Court 4, taking the first set, 6-4. Although a battled ensued until the very end, Bubnic would eventually drop the next two sets (7-5, 7-5) to Kamel and the Waves would take home their 21st WCC title.

 

 

 

1. #9 Altmann/Beidas (PEP) def. Jackson/Schive (USD) - 8-4

2. Wolmarans/Bubnic (USD) def. Clarke/Kamel (PEP) - 8-5

3. Llompart/Turner (PEP) def. de Villiers/Coetzee (USD) - 8-6

 

1. #56 Dean Jackson (USD) def. #45 Omar Altmann (PEP) - 6-2, 7-5

2. #33 Bassam Beidas (PEP) def. Charl Wolmarans (USD) - 7-5, 6-1

3. Alex Llompart (PEP) def. Chris Coetzee (USD) - 3-6, 6-2, 6-4

4. Mahmoud Kamel (PEP) def. Nikola Bubnic (USD) - 4-6, 7-6, 7-5

5. Tom Wolff (USD) vs. Alex Moreno (PEP) - DNF

6. Nils Schive (USD) vs. Jenson Turner (PEP) - DNF