Nine months — that’s how long it had been since Arizona State last competed at Whiteman Tennis Center. The last time the Sun Devils took the courts at home, they upended their in-state rival, Arizona, which helped get them to the NCAA Tournament.
They picked up right where they left off.
Arizona State earned a 7-0 win over Pepperdine in its 2019 home opener, and the success began from the jump.
For the fourth time this season, the Sun Devils took the doubles point. Will Kirkman/Tim Ruehl and Dominik Kellovsky/Nathan Ponwith gave ASU an early 1-0 advantage, and the other pairing — Justin Roberts and Makey Rakotomalala — didn’t finish their match.