Michigan
Pepperdine
Michigan's Comeback Against No. 8 Pepperdine Falls Short
2/25/2022 9:40:00 PM | Women's Tennis
» The Wolverines fell in a 3-0 hole before getting singles wins from Jaedan Brown and Andrea Cerdan to close within 3-2.
» U-M forced third sets on both the remaining courts but Pepperdine came away with a three-set win at No. 5 to clinch the win.
» Nicole Hammond pulled out a three-set win at No. 4 once the team match had been clinched to result in the 4-3 score.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Result: #5 Pepperdine 4, #16 Michigan 3
Records: U-M (5-3), Pepperdine (6-2)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, March 5 -- at UCF (Lake Nona, Fla.), Noon
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 16-ranked University of Michigan women's tennis team saw its comeback fall just short, dropping a 4-3 decision to No. 8-ranked Pepperdine Friday evening (Feb. 25) at the Varsity Tennis Center. U-M fell behind 3-0 before getting two straight wins to close the gap to 3-2, with the remaining matches in third sets. Pepperdine came through with a three-set win at No. 5 to clinch the win.
Pepperdine took the doubles point behind a pair of wins at No. 3 and No. 2. The Waves raced out to a 3-0 lead at No. 3, with Michigan unable to back up a pair of breaks in the 6-2 Pepperdine win.
The match at No. 2 featured five straight holds of serve between the two teams before Pepperdine got the break it needed at 4-2. The Waves won the ensuing two games, clinching the match's first point moments after the win at No. 3.
Pepperdine extended its lead to 3-0 with a pair of straight-set wins at No. 6 and No. 1.
Sophomore Jaedan Brown got Michigan on the board with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 2 over No. 12-ranked Lisa Zaar. Brown took advantage of a late break in the first, going up 5-3 and closing it on her serve in the next game. In the second set, Brown broke early on a deuce point for a 2-1 lead before backing it up in the next game. She dropped just one more game the rest of the way to wrap up the win and put Michigan's point on the board.
Freshman Julia Fliegner stayed on court for the Maize and Blue, getting a 6-4 second-set win. After being up 5-2, the set was suddenly back on serve as Fleigner led 5-4 with Janice Tjen back to serve. Tjen jumped out to a 40-0 lead on her serve but Fliegner ran off four straight points to take the set.
Junior Andrea Cerdan came through with a 7-6 (5), 6-1 win at No. 3 for Michigan's second point, trimming the Pepperdine lead to 3-2. Cerdan and No. 23 Taisiya Pachkaleva each held serve throughout the first set, sending it to a breaker. The Wolverine won the final two points, sealing a 7-5 win. It was all Cerdan in the second as she dropped just one game to account for Michigan's second point.
Nicole Hammond came through with a split at No. 4, getting a 6-3 second-set win to again extend the match. She got the break she needed at 3-2, backing it up in the next game. Both players held serve their next two games before Hammond broke again in the final game to take the second set.
Fliegner fell in a 3-1 hole to start her third set at No. 5 before battling back to tie the set at 4-4. At the same time, Hammond reeled off four straight games to erase a 2-0 deficit to start her third set at No. 4.
Fliegner was broken at love in her next service game, once again down a break at 5-4. She grabbed a 40-15 lead in the next game, but Tjen ripped off three straight points, winning the match when Fliegner's backhand service return went wide as Pepperdine clinched the team match.
Hammond came through with a 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3 win at the No. 4 spot after the team match was secure, providing the 4-3 margin.
Michigan hits the road for its spring break trip next, taking on UCF next Saturday (March 5) at the USTA National Campus at noon.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 21 Shiori Fukuda (Pepperdine) d. No. 8 Kari Miller (U-M), 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 -- No. 107 Jaedan Brown (U-M) d. No. 12 Lisa Zaar (Pepperdine), 6-3, 6-2
No. 3 -- No. 113 Andrea Cerdan (U-M) d. No. 23 Taisiya Pachkaleva (Pepperdine), 7-6 (5), 6-1
No. 4 -- No. 120 Nicole Hammond (U-M) d. No. 45 Victoria Flores (Pepperdine), 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3
No. 5 -- No. 88 Janice Tjen (Pepperdine) d. Julia Fliegner (U-M), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
No. 6 -- No. 117 Savannah Broadus (Pepperdine) d. Gala Mesochoritou (U-M), 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
No. 1 -- Jaedan Brown/Andrea Cerdan (U-M) vs. No. 11 Lisa Zaar/Victoria Flores (Pepperdine), 4-4 abandoned
No. 2 -- No. 15 Savannah Broadus/Janice Tjen (Pepperdine) d. Kari Miller/Julia Fliegner (U-M), 6-2
No. 3 -- Taisiya Pachkaleva/Shiori Fukuda (Pepperdine) d. Anca Craciun/Merri Kelly (U-M), 6-2
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-2; Singles 6-1-2-3-5-4
Players Mentioned
