MALIBU, Calif. --- The Anteaters trip up to No. 48 Pepperdine nearly ended in another victory coming down to the third set of the final singles match before the Waves pulled out the 4-3 victory Saturday.
UC Irvine (4-8, 1-0) took the opening point with decisive wins from Nos. 2 and 3 doubles to give the 'Eaters the 1-0 lead.
Tyler Pham increased the lead with a straight-set win at No. 4 singles before Pepperdine (4-3) stormed back with wins at Nos. 1, 4, and 6 singles to take the 3-2 lead.
No. 3 Shuhei Shibahara stopped the charge with a three-set comeback win to tie it at 3-3. It came down to No. 2 singles where Guilherme Hadlich just edged Nico Mertens, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5 to clinch the match.
The 'Eaters now play on March 1, a doubleheader against Northern Arizona (10:00 a.m. at Newport Beach Tennis Club) followed by a 2:00 p.m. match at Palisades Tennis Club against Boston College. UCI's doubleheader Sunday, Feb. 22 has been rescheduled with tomorrow's threat of rain.
No. 48 PEPPERDINE 4, No. 75 UC IRVINE 3
UCI (4-8, 1-0) | PEPP (4-3)
February 21, 2015
Malibu, Calif.
Doubles
1 Hammel/Pham (UCI) vs. Hadlich/Thakkar (PEP) – 3-4 (unf.)
2 Davidian/Poon (UCI) def. Iamachkine/Pane (PEP) – 6-3
3 Heim/Mertens (UCI) def. Hill/Menichella (PEP) – 6-2
UC Irvine wins the doubles point
Singles
1 Stefan Menichella (PEP) def. Sebastian Heim (UCI) – 2-6, 6-3, 6-0
2 Guilherme Hadlich (PEP) def. Nico Mertens (UCI) – 3-6, 7-6, 7-5
3 Shuhei Shibahara (UCI) def. Rakshay Thakkar (PEP) – 4-6, 6-3, 7-6
4 Tyler Pham (UCI) def. Lautaro Pane (PEP) – 6-3, 6-2
5 Pedro Iamachkine (PEP) def. Rafael Davidian (UCI) 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
6 Tom Hill (PEP) def. Jonathan Hammel (UCI) – 6-3, 7-5
Order of finish: Doubles – 3, 2 | Singles – 4, 1, 5, 6, 3, 2
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