SEATTLE – The 51st-ranked Husky men’s tennis team came up short in an NCAA rematch with 36th-ranked Pepperdine tonight at the Nordstrom Tennis Center, as the Waves pulled out a 4-2 victory. The Dawgs (10-6) got singles wins from Cesar Bouchelaghem, who ran his record to 16-0, and freshman Brett Pearson.
Washington dropped the doubles point and the Waves eventually pulled out four of the six first sets in singles, but UW had a mid-match push with Han-Chih Lin and Nedim Suko fighting back to force third sets, and Dzianis Zharyn rallying from 2-5 down in his second set to force a tiebreak. But Pepperdine (11-7) was able to answer back and finish off three singles matches after the Huskies had gone up, 2-1.
“Great battle,” said Head Coach Rahim Esmail. “The guys worked really hard and I thought it was a super competitive match and these are the matches we want to play and be a part of, where two quality teams are going at it and just competing hard.”
Bouchelaghem, the sophomore from France, got his 21st consecutive singles win dating back to the fall, stopping Eero Vasa in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 3 singles. Pearson then closed out his No. 6 singles match against Linus Carlsson Halldin, breaking his opponent at love to end it, 6-4, 7-5.
2??1?? straight and 1??6??-0?? in dual play as Cesar gets the first singles win!!
6-2, 6-4 and we’re tied up!#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/tkDbqcAhLq
— Washington Men’s Tennis (@UW_MTennis) April 6, 2023
Zharyn was looking to be the third Husky to force a third set after dropping the first, and he had a set point chance in a tiebreak after fighting back from 2-5 down, but 94th-ranked Tim Zeitvogel was able to save it and then won the tiebreak, 8-6, to earn Pepperdine’s first singles win and tie the match at 2-2.
Another key tiebreak went Pepperdine’s way at No. 5 singles, as Pietro Fellin saved a set point and took the first set with Jim Hendrikx, 9-7 in the breaker. He then took the second set, 6-3, to clinch the Waves win. That came just moments after Lin fell in three sets at No. 1 singles to 69th-ranked Daniel De Jonge, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-0.
Sophomore Nedim Suko was unable to finish his No. 4 singles match with Maxi Homberg. Homberg took set one, 6-3, but Suko pulled out a 7-5 second set win and was up, 4-3, in the third when Pepperdine clinched and the match was suspended.
Brett Pearson breaks at love for the win??
6-4, 7-5
Dawgs move up, 2-1#GoHuskies
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