MOBILE, Ala. -- Azusa Pacific’s doubles sweep helped power the No. 6-seeded Cougars into the quarterfinals of the 2009 NAIA Men’s Tennis National Championship with Wednesday’s 5-0 victory over Golden State Athletic Conference rival Point Loma Nazarene.

Azusa Pacific won both regular-season meetings against Point Loma Nazarene, and 8-6 wins at all 3 doubles positions staked the Cougars to a commanding 3-0 lead heading into singles play. Juniors Matthijs Bolsius and Mathias Weber improved to 12-6 on the season with their win at the top of the doubles lineup, and junior Ronald Chow and sophomore Daniel Moore combined for an 8-6 win at No. 2 doubles. Freshman Janosch Apelt won his fifth straight doubles match, posting an 8-6 victory with freshman Ilja Ikonnikov at the No. 3 spot.

Apelt and Chow secured the singles victories in straight sets that clinched the match victory for Azusa Pacific. Apelt defeated Travis Albaugh for the second time this season, notching a 6-2, 6-2 result at No. 3 singles, and Chow was a 6-1, 6-2 winner at No. 4 over Trent Brown.

Azusa Pacific led 2 of the remaining 4 unfinished singles matches. After the winning the first set at No. 5 singles, 6-2, Moore led by a 5-0 margin in the second set when the Cougars registered the match-clinching fifth team point. Freshman Whitman Hough, also a 6-2 opening-set winner at No. 6, led 4-0 in the second set when the match ended.

With the victory, Azusa Pacific guaranteed itself a winning record for the 13th consecutive season, improving to 14-12 overall heading into Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup with another GSAC rival, third-seeded Fresno Pacific.

SINGLES
1. Joel Myers (PLNU) vs. Matthijs Bolsius (APU); 6-4, 5-2 (DNF)
2. Curt Wheeler (PLNU) vs. Mathias Weber (APU); 6-1, 1-2 (DNF)
3. Janosch Apelt (APU) def. Travis Albaugh (PLNU); 6-2, 6-2
4. Ronald Chow (APU) def. Trent Brown (PLNU); 6-1, 6-2
5. Daniel Moore (APU) vs. Landon Hilker (PLNU); 6-2, 5-0 (DNF)
6. Whitman Hough (APU) vs. Andy Hong (PLNU); 6-2, 4-0 (DNF)

DOUBLES
1. Bolsius/Weber (APU) def. Myers/Wheeler (PLNU); 8-6
2. Chow/Moore (APU) def. Albaugh/Hilker (PLNU); 8-6
3. Apelt/Ilja Ikonnikov (APU) def. Jeff Nelson/Josh Nelson (PLNU); 8-6