MALIBU, Calif. – The seventh-ranked Columbia men's tennis team used a strong performance in singles action to secure a 4-2 win over No. 40 Pepperdine at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center Wednesday.
 
The win marks back-to-back seasons with a 4-2 victory against Pepperdine after the Lions also secured the win last season in Malibu. Columbia improves to 11-2 overall this season with the win.
 
Pepperdine clinched the doubles point to start Wednesday's match with the lead. The Waves claimed wins in the No. 2 and 3 doubles. The Pepperdine duo of Linus Halldin and George Davis defeated No. 22 Max Westphal and Nicolas Kotzen, 6-3 in the No. 2 doubles. Pietro Fellin and Edward Winter clinched the doubles point for Pepperdine wth a 7-5 victory over Alex Kotzen and Henry Ruger in the No. 3 spot.
 
The 18^th-ranked duo of Theo Winegar and Michael Zheng defeated Pepperdine's Maxi Homberg and Christopher Papa, 6-4 in the top doubles to improve to 12-4 overall this year as partners. The duo is now 9-1 playing the top doubles this spring.
 
Needing four singles wins to win the match, the Lions didn't disappoint.
 
Westphal tied the match by earning a 6-2, 6-2 win against Davis in the No. 4 singles. Westphal remains undefeated this spring at 8-0. He is now 5-0 playing the No. 4 spot.
 
Halldin secured a 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 113 Nicolas Kotzen in the No. 3 singles to put Pepperdine back in front, 2-1.
 
The lead didn't last long though as Hugo Hashimoto worked a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Zach Stephens in the No. 5 spot to tie the match again.
 
No. 18 Zheng and Henry Ruger closed the match out with wins to clinch a 4-2 Columbia victory. Zheng battled through three sets to defeat 24^th-ranked Winter, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the top singles. Ruger clinched the win with a thrilling, three-set victory over Robert Shelton, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 in the No. 6 singles.
 
Columbia will close out its spring break trip to California with a match at UC Irvine on Friday. First serve is slated for 4:00 p.m. ET.
 
RESULTS
#7 Columbia 4, #40 Pepperdine 2
Singles
1. #18 Michael Zheng (COL) def. #24 Winter,Edward (PEPPM) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
2. Fellin,Pietro (PEPPM) vs. #77 Alex Kotzen (COL) 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 2-4, unfinished
3. Halldin,Linus (PEPPM) def. #113 Nicolas Kotzen (COL) 6-4, 6-3
4. Max Westphal (COL) def. Davis,George (PEPPM) 6-2, 6-2
5. Hugo Hashimoto (COL) def. Stephens,Zach (PEPPM) 7-5, 6-1
6. Henry Ruger (COL) def. Shelton,Robert (PEPPM) 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
 
Doubles
1. #18 Theo Winegar/Michael Zheng (COL) def. Homberg,Maxi/Papa,Christopher (PEPPM) 6-4
2. Halldin,Linus/Davis,George (PEPPM) def. #22 Max Westphal/Nicolas Kotzen (COL) 6-3
3. Fellin,Pietro/Winter,Edward (PEPPM) def. Alex Kotzen/Henry Ruger (COL) 7-5
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,3,5,1,6)
 
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