UCLA
Pepperdine
Tian, No. 24 UCLA Defeat No. 5 Pepperdine in 4-3 Marathon
April 12, 2023 | Women's Tennis
LOS ANGELES – The No. 24 UCLA women's tennis team, behind the heroics of Fangran Tian, defeated No. 5 Pepperdine 4-3 in a marathon match Wednesday afternoon at Los Angeles Tennis Center.
With all eyes on the top court, Tian defeated Janice Tjen in a three-set battle of top-20-ranked singles players. Also victorious for the Bruins (10-6, 4-4 Pac-12) in singles play were Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer and Elise Wagle. Each of the three also had a hand in securing the doubles point. The Waves (13-3, 4-0 WCC) led 3-2 thanks to singles wins by Savannah Broadus, Nikki Redelijk and Lisa Zaar. The non-conference contest took over four hours to complete.
UCLA started strong in doubles play, with its pairs on Courts 1 and 3 each logging two breaks of serve out of the gate for a 3-0 lead. First to finish was the bottom court, where Lutkemeyer and Tian teamed to pick up their fifth victory in as many tries by taking six of seven games against Redelijk and Anna Campana. Then, for the second time this season, No. 6 Wagle and Kimmi Hance took down current No. 1 Broadus and Tjen, giving the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Hance and Wagle previously beat Broadus and Tjen, then No. 6, in October's ITA Southwest Regional Championships doubles final.
Pepperdine secured four singles first sets and quickly established a 2-1 lead following wins by No. 18 Broadus and No. 30 Zaar. Broadus bested Ava Catanzarite 6-2, 6-0 on Court 3, while No. 30 Zaar got the better of No. 106 Hance in a 6-2, 6-1 decision on Court 2.
Wagle pulled UCLA level on Court 4, holding off Bunyawi Thamchaiwat 6-1, 7-5. Thamchaiwat recovered from a 2-5 second-set deficit, but Wagle subsequently picked up a break of serve and rode it to victory.
The remaining matches were three-set affairs, with Court 5 next to finish. Redelijk outlasted Sasha Vagramov 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, putting the Waves one point away from the team win. On the next court over, though, Lutkemeyer kept the Bruins alive after going the distance with Anna Campana. The 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) result, Lutkemeyer's 19th singles victory of the season, turned the focus to the first-year player's classmate on Court 1.
The top-court showdown between No. 19 Tian and No. 11 Tjen had just completed Set 2 when the score was knotted at 3-3. The players alternated seizing tiebreaker sets to set up the finale. Tian and Tjen traded breaks immediately and then held until 4-3 in favor of the Bruin. Tjen was then broken and Tian closed out the individual – her 13th in a row to start dual-match play – and team wins.
UCLA returns to Pac-12 play Friday, as it next travels north to face No. 49 Oregon. First serve from the Oregon Student Tennis Courts is set for 12 p.m. PT.
Tennis Match Results
Pepperdine vs UCLA
4/12/2023 at Los Angeles, CA
(Los Angeles Tennis Center)
#24 UCLA 4, #5 Pepperdine 3
Singles competition
1. #19 Fangran Tian (UCLA) def. #11 Janice Tjen (PEPP) 7-6 (7-1), 6-7 (6-8), 6-3
2. #30 Lisa Zaar (PEPP) def. #106 Kimmi Hance (UCLA) 6-2, 6-1
3. #18 Savannah Broadus (PEPP) def. Ava Catanzarite (UCLA) 6-2, 6-0
4. Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. Bunyawi Thamchaiwat (PEPP) 6-1, 7-5
5. Nikki Redelijk (PEPP) def. Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
6. A. Lutkemeyer (UCLA) def. Anna Campana (PEPP) 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
Doubles competition
1. #6 Kimmi Hance/Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. #1 Savannah Broadus/Janice Tjen (PEPP) 6-3
2. Ava Catanzarite/Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) vs. Bunyawi Thamchaiwat/Lisa Zaar (PEPP) 5-2, unfinished
3. A. Lutkemeyer/Fangran Tian (UCLA) def. Anna Campana/Nikki Redelijk (PEPP) 6-1
Match Notes:
Pepperdine 13-3; National ranking #5
UCLA 10-6; National ranking #24
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (3,2,4,5,6,1)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2,4,5,6,1
Players Mentioned
