Wake Forest University
Pepperdine
Deacons Knock Off Defending National Champions
2/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Feb. 25, 2007
Winston-Salem, N.C. - The Demon Deacon men's tennis team rolled past eighth-ranked Pepperdine, the 2006 NCAA Champions, 5-2, at the Wake Forest Indoor Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon. The win marked Wake Forest's first win against a top-10 team since April 2005 at fifth-ranked Duke.
"It was a big win for this team. It should be a confidence booster," head coach Jeff Zinn said. "Pepperdine is definitely a top-10 team. Their only losses this season have been to teams in the top five. They've defeated Notre Dame and a bunch of really good teams. For us to beat a team like Pepperdine shows we belong in the conversation as one of the best teams in the country."
The Deacons (10-1) came out on fire, sweeping all three doubles matches. As a team, Wake Forest has won 14 of its last 15 doubles contests. The nation's 17th-ranked doubles pair, Wake Forest's Todd Paul and Mariusz Adamski, eased past Andre Begemann and Richard Johnson, 8-5. Cory Parr and Charles Sartor followed suit at number two with an 8-6 victory. At number three, Andrew Hamar and Andrew Brasseaux won by an identical 8-6 score.
In singles, the Deacons continued to apply the pressure. Wake Forest won the first set in four of the six matches. Jason Morgenstern added to the Deacon lead with a 6-3, 6-2 win at number six. Seconds later, 51st-ranked Cory Parr finished off Richard Johnson at number two, 6-3, 6-3.
Paul, the nation's top singles player, clinched the team victory for the Deacons with a 6-3, 7-5 win over 15th-ranked Andre Begemann. With the individual win, Paul remains undefeated in the spring at 10-0. He is also 6-0 this season against opponents ranked in the top 15.
Mariusz Adamski captured the fifth point for the Deacons at number four singles where he rallied to beat James Lemke in three sets, 6-7, 6-2, 1-0.
Pepperdine picked up its lone points at numbers three and five.
Wake Forest will be idle until March 12 when the Deacons travel to Las Vegas to take on UNLV. The Deacons' next home match is not until March 23 against Virginia Tech.
Players Mentioned
