Pepperdine Team Page
URBANA, Ill. – After a season full of awards and marquee wins, Sebastian Fanselow of the Pepperdine men’s tennis team saw his collegiate career come to a close today during the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championship.
Fanselow (Essen, Germany/Kaplan College Prep), a two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year, made a bit of history yesterday by becoming just the seventh Wave in the program annuls to reach the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Tournament.
He disposed of players from Drake, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Auburn to become one of four players left standing. In the round of 16, the three-time ITA Singles All-American and #11-ranked Fanselow upset #8 Peter Kobelt in straight sets. In yesterday’s quarterfinals, Fanselow outlasted #19 Andreas Mies of Auburn in three sets.
Today in the semifinals, he went up against #3 Jamare Jenkins of Virginia. The Cavaliers captured 2013 NCAA Team Championship last week.
Fanselow last met with Jenkins during the finals of the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship in Flushing, N.Y. last fall. Although Jenkins won in straight sets, many considered Fanselow’s appearance in the finals remarkable in and of its own.
After sitting out most of the fall season nursing an injury, he returned for the first time at the national indoor championship. He defeated three top-10 ranked players on his way to the finals, including top-seeded Alex Domijan in the semifinals.
The first time Fanselow and Jenkins met was during the team semifinals of the 2012 NCAA Championship. Pepperdine’s ace won in three sets that night to tally the Waves’ only point of the dual.
Today the table was set for another tight battle. Similar to yesterday, Fanselow’s match began outdoors before rain forced contestants to move inside. After going game-for-game in the opening frame, Jenkins emerged with a 7-1 win in the tiebreaker to take set one.
The second set was a mirror image of the first and the two foes found themselves going to another tiebreaker tied at 6-6.
Despite his best efforts, Fanselow fell once again in the tiebreaker, 7-3.
Fanselow finishes his senior campaign with a 32-9 overall record. In addition to his tennis accomplishments, Fanselow will also be remembered for his on-court demeanor. He won the USTA/ITA Sportsmanship Award last fall at the indoor championships and last week was granted the ITA/Rafael Osuna National Sportsmanship award.
While Fanselow’s collegiate career has come to an end, the German native is expected to play in professional tournaments worldwide.
Jenkins will face Blaz Rola of Ohio State in tomorrow's title match.
NCAA Singles & Doubles Championship
May 22-27, 2013 at Urbana, Ill. (Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex)
Singles
R1 #11 Sebastian Fanselow (Pepperdine) def. #65 Ghorbel, Anis (Drake) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
R1 #62 Alex Sarkissian (Pepperdine) def. #34 Hunter Reese (Tennessee) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
R2 #11 Sebastian Fanselow (Pepperdine) def. #58 Guillermo Alcorta (Oklahoma) 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (10-8)
R2 #62 Alex Sarkissian (Pepperdine) def. #10 Ryan Lipman (Vanderbilt) 6-3, 6-0
R16 #11 Sebastian Fanselow (Pepperdine) def. #8 Peter Kobelt (Ohio State) 6-4, 6-2
R16 #41 Japie De Klerk (Tulsa) def. #62 Alex Sarkissian (Pepperdine) 7-6 (7-0), 6-7 (3-7), 6-2
QF #11 Sebastian Fanselow (Pepperdine) def. #19 Andreas Mies (Auburn) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
SF #3 Jarmere Jenkins (Virginia) def. #11 Sebastian Fanselow (Pepperdine) 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-3)
Doubles
R1 #20 Stephane Piro/Bob van Overbeek (Florida) def. #43 Francis Alcantara/Finn Tearney (Pepperdine) 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-4
