Rok Bonin rallied from a set down and won a decisive third-set tiebreaker as Minnesota pulled out a thrilling 4-3 win over 24th-ranked Pepperdine on Wednesday in Malibu, Calif.
Bonin, playing No. 3 singles, dropped his first set to Alex Llompart 6-3, but came back for a 6-3 second-set win before taking a third-set tiebreaker by a 7-1 score. Minnesota, ranked 51st in the country, improved to 6-5 with the win.
Sebastian Gallego was part of a pair of big wins for the Gophers, defeating 40th-ranked Bassam Beidas 7-6, 7-5 at No. 1 singles and also teaming with Phillip Arndt for an 8-6 win over the 25th-ranked doubles tandem of Beidas and Llompart at No. 1. The Gophers clinched the doubles point when Bonin and Tobias Wernet beat Hugh Clarke and Finn Tearney 8-6 at No. 2.
The Waves won three of the first four singles decisions as Daniel Moss beat Michael Sicora 6-4, 6-1 at No. 6, Sebastian Fanselow downed Wernet 6-3, 6-2 at No. 2 and Tearney topped Arndt 6-2, 6-3 at No. 5. Dino Bilankov posted a 7-6, 6-3 win over Mousheg Hovhannisyan at No. 4 and the Gophers trailed 3-2 before the victories by Gallego and Bonin sealed the win.
Minnesota plays its final non-conference match on March 26 at Western Michigan before beginning Big Ten play the following day at Michigan.
#51 Minnesota 4, #24 Pepperdine 3
Singles
1. #76 Sebastian Gallego (MINN) def. #40 Bassam Beidas (PEPP) 7-6 (7-3), 7-5
2. #110 Sebastian Fanselow (PEPP) def. #121 Tobias Wernet (MINN) 6-3, 6-2
3. Rok Bonin (MINN) def. Alex Llompart (PEPP) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1)
4. Dino Bilankov (MINN) def. Mousheg Hovhannisyan (PEPP) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
5. Finn Tearney (PEPP) def. Phillip Arndt (MINN) 6-2, 6-3
6. Daniel Moss (PEPP) def. Michael Sicora (MINN) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles
1. #37 Sebastian Gallego/Phillip Arndt (MINN) def. #25 Bassam Beidas/Alex Llompart (PEPP) 8-6
2. Rok Bonin/Tobias Wernet (MINN) def. Hugh Clarke/Finn Tearney (PEPP) 8-6
3. Sebastian Fanselow/Alejandro Moreno (PEPP) def. Derek Peterson/Julian Dehn (MINN) 8-3
Match Notes:
Minnesota 6-5; National ranking #51
Pepperdine 6-7; National ranking #24
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,2,4,5,1,3)
