Men's Tennis Falls to No. 8 Pepperdine 4-3

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February 28, 1999

MALIBU, Calif – The University of Virginia men’s tennis team dropped a hard-fought decision to #8 Pepperdine 4-3 Saturday (Feb. 27) at Pepperdine’s Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center. The loss snaps the Cavaliers’ three-match winning streak as they fall to 3-1 this season. Pepperdine improves to 9-2 this season.

The match was Virginia’s first against a top-10 team since defeating #10 South Alabama in January 1997.

Virginia jumped to the early lead by winning all three doubles matches to claim the doubles point. The Cavaliers’ top tandem of Huntley Montgomery and Brian Vahaly upset the nation’s 10th-ranked duo of Kelly Gullet and John Hui 8-5.

The Cavaliers also won at #2 with John Winter and Tommy Croker and at #3 with Hyon Yoo and Brian Hunter.

The Waves proved to be too much for Virginia singles, winning four of six matches. Brian Vahaly, ranked 24th nationally, won his third dual match in a row for Virginia with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win over Sebastien Graeff at #1.

Hunter was the only other Cavalier to win in singles. He downed Alastair Garland 6-2, 6-4 at #6.

#8 Pepperdine 4, #34 Virginia 3

Singles1-#24 Brian Vahaly (V) def. Sebastien Graeff     6-3, 2-6, 6-22-Eni Ghidirmic (P) def. John Winter                  6-1, 6-43-John Hui (P) def. Huntley Montgomery           7-6, 4-6, 6-44-Anthony Ross (P) def. Hyon Yoo                      7-6, 6-45-Chase Exon (P) def. Tommy Croker                    6-4, 7-66-Brian Hunter (V) def. Alastair Garland              6-2, 6-4

Doubles1-Montgomery/Vahaly (V) def. Kelly Gullett/Hui 8-52-Croker/Winter (V) def. Graeff/Ross 8-63-Hunter/Yoo (V) def. Ghidirmic/Oliver Schweizer 8-5