HONOLULU - The University of Hawai`i men's tennis team dropped the opening match of the Aloha Invitational to the defending national champions and 15th-ranked Pepperdine Waves, 7-0, Friday at the UH Tennis Complex. The Rainbow Warriors dropped to 4-7 on the season while the Waves improved to 12-6.

The Rainbow Warriors lost the doubles point by losing two doubles matches. The duo of seniors Derrick Lajola and Brent Hunter lost a tight 8-6 decision to the team of Andre Begemann and Mahmoud Kamel at the No. 2 position. With Pepperdine winning two of the three doubles matches and the doubles point, the coaches decided to stop the No. 1 doubles match. The duo of freshman Andreas Weber and sophomore Sascha Heinemann were tied at 5-5 against the 29th-ranked team of Richard Johnson and Omar Altmann.

In singles play, UH lost all six matches. Weber, ranked No. 60, lost his first dual singles match of the season to No. 23 Andre Begemann in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, at the No. 1 court. Weber dropped to 18-5 overall and 9-1 in dual matches. Heinemann, ranked No. 81, dropped a tight first set before losing in straight sets to Bassam Beidas, 7-5, 6-0, at the No. 2 court. Heinemann fell to 17-5 overall, 8-2 in dual matches. Sophomore Jeff Fitch lost a heartbreaking 7-6, 6-4 decision to Altmann at the No. 5 position. At No. 6, Hunter dropped a competitive match to Kamel, 6-3, 6-4.

The four-team round robin tournament continues on Saturday with a dual match between No. 15 Pepperdine and No. 38 California at 10:00 a.m. The Rainbow Warriors will next play Saturday afternoon against No. 69 San Diego State. First serve is set for 4:00 p.m. at the UH Tennis Complex.

No. 15 Pepperdine def. Hawai'i, 7-0
Doubles (Pepperdine wins doubles point)
1. Weber/Heinemann tied Altmann/Johnson (PEPP) 5-5
2. Begemann/Kamel (PEP) def. Lajola/Hunter, 8-6
3. Beidas/Lemke (PEP) def. Fitch/Faulk, 8-0

Singles (each match worth one team point)
1. Andre Begemann (PEP) def. Andreas Weber, 6-1, 6-4
2. Bassam Beidas (PEP) def. Sascha Heinemann, 7-5, 6-0
3. James Lemke (PEP) def. Derrick Lajola, 6-0, 6-1
4. Richard Johnson (PEP) def. Chad Faulk, 6-2, 6-2
5. Omar Altmann (PEP) def. Jeff Fitch, 7-6, 6-4
6. Mahmoud Kamel (PEP) def. Brent Hunter, 6-3, 6-4

-UH-