Box Score PORTLAND, Ore. – The Pepperdine Waves held on for a 5-2 win over the Portland Pilots on Saturday in West Coast Conference men's tennis action at the Louisiana Pacific Tennis Center. The Pilots fall to 7-11 overall and 2-4 in WCC play, while the Waves improve to 9-9 and 3-2 in league.

The match was close throughout, beginning with a hard-fought doubles point. Portland freshmen Sema Pankin and Eleftherios Neos claimed a comfortable 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles, but the Waves answered with wins at the other two spots to go ahead 1-0.

The first three singles matches were all very competitive. Pankin continued his impressive freshman campaign with a 6-4, 6-3 win against Adrian Oeztbach at the top of the lineup to even the score. Pankin is now 10-6 in dual singles matches this spring.

Pepperdine went back ahead for good when Enrique Luque Rico dealt Pilot freshman Nicklas Oberg a 6-4, 7-6 (2) defeat. Corrado Summaria pulled off a three-set comeback against Portland sophomore Tom Hann at the No. 3 position to give the Waves a 3-1 lead.

In other close match-up, Matias Sborowitz beat Neos 6-4, 6-4 at the No. 4 position to clinch the match for the Waves.

Tim Zeitvogel outlasted Pilot freshman Issa Yoshida in a super tiebreaker at No. 5, while freshman Leo Hibi recorded Portland's second point with a 7-5, 6-4 win against Pawel Jankowiak at No. 6 singles.

"Today was a very similar day to yesterday, but we just weren't able to grab enough of the big points," Portland head coach Aaron Gross. "The doubles was very tight again, but we weren't able to get an edge. Tom actually served for the match at No. 3 and Nick played a very similar match as yesterday, but just couldn't get the second set. Leo did a very good job getting a win at six, while Lefty and Issa both lost tight ones. Definitely not saying it should have gone our way, but it sure felt like it could have at times."

Portland will conclude the rest of WCC play on the road beginning with matches at Saint Mary's and Pacific next weekend. The regular season finale is at Gonzaga on Saturday, April 20.

Pepperdine 5, Portland 2
Portland, Ore. (Louisiana Pacific Tennis Center)
April 6, 2019

Singles
1. Sema Pankin (POR) def. Adrian Oeztbach (PEPP) 6-4, 6-3
2. Enrique Luque Rico (PEPP) def. Nicklas Oberg (POR) 6-4, 7-6 (2)
3. Corrado Summaria (PEPP) def. Tom Hann (POR) 5-7, 7-5, 6-2
4. Matias Sborowitz (PEPP) def. Eleftherios Neos (POR) 6-4, 6-4
5. Tim Zeitvogel (PEPP) def. Issa Yoshida (POR) 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (9)
6. Leo Hibi (POR) def. Pawel Jankowiak (PEPP) 7-5, 6-4

Doubles
1. Eleftherios Neos/Sema Pankin (POR) def. Oeztbach, Adrian/Zeitvogel, Tim (PEPP) 6-2
2. Rico, Enrique Luque/Summaria, Corrado (PEPP) def. Tom Hann/Nicklas Oberg (POR) 6-3
3. Sborowitz, Matias/Jankowiak, Pawel (PEPP) def. Issa Yoshida/Leo Hibi (POR) 6-4

Match Notes:
Pepperdine 9-9, 3-2 WCC
Portland 7-11, 2-4 WCC
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,2,3,4,5,6)