Pepperdine men’s tennis arrived in red-hot form, sweeping No. 24 Arizona State 4–0 and defeating South Florida 5–2 while climbing to No. 24 in the ITA rankings and holding firm inside the top 25 all season. Now riding a surging wave of momentum, the Waves carried that confidence into a commanding statement against Stanford.

No. 24 Pepperdine men’s tennis delivered a major statement on Friday. The Waves (5-2) blanked No. 4 Stanford (6-1) 4-0 at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center. It was one of their biggest wins in recent years.

The victory marked Pepperdine’s first win over a top-five team since defeating No. 5 USC 4-2 in Malibu on February 26, 2022. The result highlighted the team’s strong form this season.

Pepperdine set the tone early by securing the doubles point. Wins came on courts one and three to give the Waves early control of the match.

Aleksa Pisaric and Lasse Poertner defeated Stanford’s Jagger Leach and Alex Chang 6-3. Maxi Homberg and Gustavo Ribeiro de Almeida followed with a 6-2 win over Alexander Razeghi and Mark Krupkin.

With momentum on their side, the Waves carried their energy into singles. They won three straight matches to seal the shutout victory.

Director of Tennis Adam Schaecheterle praised the team’s unity and effort after the match. 

“This team has some magic in how they connect to each other. We are all coaches and players invested in exploring how good we can become. I love how every player is willing to dig for each other. Already looking forward to another battle with the Bruins tomorrow!”

Now riding high on confidence, Pepperdine has shown its strength when it matters most. The players have stepped up in key moments and proven they can compete with the nation’s best.

Pepperdine showed relentless persistence in singles and doubles against Stanford

Stanford entered the contest ranked No. 4 in the nation. The team had dropped one spot from No. 3, its highest ranking since March 27, 2018. Expectations were high heading into the matchup.

Pepperdine quickly seized control in doubles. Aleksa Pisaric and Lasse Poertner defeated Jagger Leach and Alex Chang 6-3. Maxi Homberg and Gustavo Ribeiro de Almeida followed with a strong 6-2 win over Alexander Razeghi and Mark Krupkin.

With the doubles point secured, the Waves carried their momentum into singles. The early advantage allowed them to play freely and aggressively.

At the No. 1 position, Edward Winter delivered a solid performance. He defeated Stanford’s Samir Banerjee in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.

David Fix produced one of the most impressive efforts of the day. After losing the first set to Mark Krupkin, he stormed back to win 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, claiming 12 of the final 13 games.

Aleksa Pisaric then stepped up in a key moment. He beat Jagger Leach 7-5, 7-5 on court four to officially clinch the match for Pepperdine.

Several other matches were left unfinished once the result was decided. Lasse Poertner led Hudson Rivera after a first-set tiebreak win, while Maxi Homberg and Gustavo Ribeiro de Almeida were also in strong positions.

Pepperdine now faces a quick turnaround. The Waves will take on No. 15 UCLA at 2 p.m. at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center, looking to carry their dominant form into another major test.