March 7, 2006

Malibu, Calif. - The Wake Forest tennis team has spent the first few days of Spring Break in beautiful Malibu, Calif., but the 33rd-ranked Demon Deacons aren't on vacation. They are on a business trip, getting ready for a showdown with second-ranked Pepperdine on Wednesday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. pacific time., at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center.

Coming from the perennially strong Atlantic Coast Conference, the Deacons are accustomed to facing top flight competition. Wake Forest has played 10 matches against teams ranked in the top five during the last 10 seasons, including a 6-1 win at fifth-ranked Duke last year. But the Deacons have faced a team ranked second only once, a 4-0 loss to No. 2 Virginia in the 2005 ACC Tournament. Wake Forest has never faced a team ranked number one.

Wednesday's meeting with be the first-ever between Wake Forest and Pepperdine on the tennis court.

Pepperdine (14-1) already has three wins over top 10 teams to its credit this season. The Waves reached the final of the National Team Indoors last month by easing past eighth-ranked Mississippi and fourth-ranked Duke. In the championship match, top-ranked Georgia ended Pepperdine's run, 4-0.

The Deacons (7-3) will have their hands full as the Waves have two singles players ranked in the top 11. Scott Doerner, a senior from Melbourne, Australia, is ranked seventh nationally. Senior Pedro Rico is listed at No. 11. Pepperdine's number three singles player, Ivor Lovrak, is ranked 87th. In doubles, Doerner and teammate Andrew Begemann are the nation's fourth-ranked duo.

In October, at the All-American Championship, Wake Forest junior Todd Paul knocked off Rico in three sets, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, en route to the backdraw championship.

Wake Forest started its season 5-0, but has dropped three of its last five matches. The Deacons, ranked 33rd nationally in the ITA poll released on Tuesday, are out of the top 25 for the first time this season. Nonetheless, they will have ample opportunity to return to that lofty status during the next three weeks. After facing second-ranked Pepperdine on Wednesday, Wake Forest gets into conference action next Tuesday with 25th-ranked NC State at home, followed by road trips to 13th-ranked North Carolina and 11th-ranked Virginia.