Feb. 18, 2012

2011-12 Records | ITA Indoor Championship Central

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The 13th-ranked California men's tennis team (5-3) earned a 4-2 consolation victory against No. 12 Pepperdine (3-6) on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Boar's Head Tennis Club in the 2012 ITA National Men's Indoor Championships. The Golden Bears will draw No. 8 UCLA (9-1) in their last consolation dual with revenge on their minds. The two teams met at Hellman Tennis Complex on Feb. 3, where the Bruins came away with a 4-3 win. Cal and UCLA are also scheduled to play in Los Angeles on April 14.

"I think we started better in doubles, today," said head coach Peter Wright. "We really got out to good starts on all three courts. We were able to grab leads early and run with them, which was nice. In singles, Carlos [Cueto], at two, and Ben [McLachlan], at three, did a really great job of not giving their opponents any opportunities. Pepperdine is a great team. Their guys are always so energetic, but I thought we came out with more energy, after doubles, and played really good singles, today."

Cal turned its fortunes around on the second day of the indoor championships as its 16th-ranked doubles team of junior Carlos Cueto and sophomore Ben McLachlan kicked the day off with an 8-6 win against Sebastian Fanselow and Jenson Turner at court two. It was their team-leading 18th win of the year.

At the top court, the Bears sealed the first point of the day on an 8-3 win by their fourth-ranked duo of senior Nick Andrews and junior Christoffer Konigsfeldt. The tandem took out the Waves' 53rd-ranked team of Finn Tearney and Alex Llompart. With the first point decided, the match at court three was halted with Pepperdine's Hugh Clarke and David Sofaer up, 7-6, against junior Riki McLachlan and freshman Andrew Scholnick.

Into singles matches, the Bears wasted no time grabbing a 2-0 lead when No. 44-ranked Ben McLachlan came up with a 6-2, 6-3 win against No. 58 Mousheg Hovhannisyan at court three. The Waves responded to get a point when Turner upended senior Ahmed Ismail, 6-3, 6-1, at court six.

Pepperdine evened the score at two-all off a win at No. 5 doubles where No. 78-ranked Clarke claimed a 6-2, 6-4 win against freshman Gregory Bayane. But the Bears went ahead, once more, when No. 67-ranked Cueto came off the courts following a 6-2, 6-3 win against No. 26 Tearney at court two.

At the top court, Andrews was working on a split of the first two sets when his match was stopped. No. 31 Fanselow won his first set against Andrews, 6-4, but Andrews was up, 6-5, in the second when the match was called. Cal earned its final point on court four where Konigsfeldt completed a 6-3, 7-5 win over Llompart.

Cal will meet the Waves one more time in a neutral-site dual scheduled for March 10, in Durham, N.C.

UCLA was upset by No. 10 Duke in the first round of the indoor championships, but the Bruins rebounded to get a 4-0 win against No. 20 Tennessee in their consolation match. For more information on the indoor championships, please visit www.itatennis.com.

No. 13 California 4, No. 12 Pepperdine 2
2012 ITA National Men's Team Indoor Championship | Consolation
Boar's Head Tennis Club | Charlottesville, Va.
Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012
Records: Pepperdine (3-6), California (5-3)
Doubles
1. No. 4 Andrews/Konigsfeldt (CAL) def. No. 53 Llompart/Tearney (PEP); 8-3
2. No. 16 Cueto/B. McLachlan (CAL) def. Fanselow/Turner (PEP); 8-6
3. Clarke/Sofaer (PEP) vs. R. McLachlan/Scholnick (CAL); DNF
Order of finish: 2, 1* (California wins doubles point)
Singles
1. No. 31 Sebastian Fanselow (PEP) vs. Nick Andrews (CAL); DNF
2. No. 67 Carlos Cueto (CAL) def. No. 26 Finn Tearney (PEP); 6-2, 6-3
3. No. 44 Ben McLachlan (CAL) def. No. 58 Mousheg Hovhannisyan (PEP); 6-2, 6-3
4. Christoffer Konigsfeldt (CAL) def. Alex Llompart (PEP); 6-3, 7-5
5. No. 78 Hugh Clarke (PEP) def. Gregory Bayane (CAL); 6-2, 6-4
6. Jenson Turner (PEP) def. Ahmed Ismail (CAL); 6-3, 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 6, 5, 2, 4*