May 14, 2000
MALIBU, Calif. - Freshman Valentino Pest posted a come-from-behind 1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Sebastien Graeff at No. 3 singles to lift the No. 31-ranked San Diego State men's tennis team to its first-ever NCAA Sweet 16 as the Aztecs upset No. 8 Pepperdine, 4-2, in a second round NCAA Championships match at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center Sunday.
SDSU (17-7), will now travel to Athens, Ga., for a May 20 third-round match versus No. 19 Virginia Commonwealth, a 4-3 upset winner over No. 13 Mississippi earlier today in Blacksburg, Va.
"I am so proud of our guys," said SDSU head coach John Nelson. "We beat a good Pac-10 team yesterday (Washington) but we really stepped it up today against one of the best teams in the country, Pepperdine. We played at a much higher level and really went after them from the beginning of the match."
The Aztecs opened the regional final by taking the doubles point, 2-1, behind wins in the No. 1 and 2 positions. Pest teamed with fellow freshman Oliver Maiberger in the No. 2 slot for an 8-3 win over the Pepperdine duo of John Hui and Robert Kendrick before Aztec seniors Alex Waske and Adam Webster clinched the point for SDSU with an 8-6 upset of the Waves' seventh-ranked tandem of Sebastien Graeff and Anthony Ross.
Pepperdine (24-3) picked up wins at the No. 5 and 6 singles positions but were never able to take the lead as San Diego State continued its season-long roll at the top of the lineup. Maiberger posted his 21st-straight win in the No. 2 slot with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Al Garland and Waske improved to 14-1 on the year with a 7-6, 6-1 win over the nation's No. 28-ranked singles player, Kendrick, to set up Pest's match-clinching victory.
2000 NCAA DIVISION I MEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
May 13, 2000
Second Round
Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center
Malibu, Calif.
FINAL SCORE:
No. 31 San Diego State 4, No. 8 Pepperdine 2
SINGLES
No. 1 Alex Waske (SDSU) def. Robert Kendrick (Pep) 7-6, 6-1
No. 2 Oliver Maiberger (SDSU) def. Al Garland (Pep) 6-1, 6-3
No. 3 Valentino Pest (SDSU) def. Sebastien Graeff (Pep) 1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4
No. 4 Chase Exon (Pep) led Adam Webster (SDSU) 6-1, 7-6, 5-1 suspended
No. 5 Stefan Suter (Pep) def. Matt Bere (SDSU) 6-2, 6-0
No. 6 Anthony Ross (Pep) def. Travis Hasson (SDSU) 6-0, 6-0
DOUBLES (SDSU wins doubles point, 2-1)
No. 1 Waske/Webster (SDSU) def. Graeff/Ross (Pep) 8-6
No. 2 Maiberger/Pest (SDSU) def. John Hui/Kendrick (Pep) 8-3
No. 3 Exon/Garland (Pep) def. Gabe Coren/Hasson (SDSU) 8-6
Records:
San Diego State, 17-7, Pepperdine 24-3.