Tuesday, May 21, 1996
Netters in title game after four straight losses in
semifinals
By Mark Shapiro
Daily Bruin Staff
The UCLA men’s tennis team is now one step away from washing
away four years of frustration.
After losing in the semifinals of the NCAA championships in each
of the last four years, the Bruins finally got past their Achilles’
heel to earn the right to fight for the title by defeating Texas
Christian University in the NCAA semifinals in Athens, Ga.
With four years of futility staring the Bruins in the face,
there was no sign of tentativeness or intimidation as the Bruins
dismantled the Horned Frogs in Monday’s semifinal to break through
to the final match. From the outset, the day belonged to the Bruins
as they snatched the doubles point and rolled on to a 4-2
victory.
The Bruins penchant for satisfaction with a berth in the
semifinals  which had been their downfall in the past four
seasons  was nowhere to be seen on Monday. Only an intense
desire to satisfy the expectations that have been put on them and
those that they have set for themselves was in evidence.
"The last couple years we’ve had a bunch of guys that would win
a couple of matches and think that was pretty good," UCLA head
coach Billy Martin said. "This year our expectations are to win
this and you’ve got to have that. This year’s team has incredible
desire and anything less than winning would not live up to our
expectations."
UCLA got off to a strong start against the Horned Frogs as they
shook off old cobwebs and took the doubles point. At the second
position, Eric Lin and Jason Thompson put their early struggles
behind them as they came through with a huge 8-4 victory over
Ashley Fisher and Jason Wier-Smith. The third position was ably
manned by Eric Taino and Matt Breen, who came up with an 8-6
victory over Paul Corrales and Javier Ernacio.
"The doubles point was the key," Martin said. "This was really a
great win for Lin and Thompson, they came and got one for us when
we really needed it. Having to win only three singles matches
against TCU made it a lot easier."
The TCU singles lineup proved to be a bit of a stiffer challenge
for the Bruins as they took a pair of matches, but the Bruins held
off the challenge thanks to some sterling play at the top and
bottom of the lineup.
Top-ranked Justin Gimelstob tangled with Paul Robinson, the No.
2 player in the nation in what looked to be an epic matchup.
Robinson had a chance to close out the first set, but failed to
convert. From there, any parity disappeared as Gimelstob ran off
nine straight games to win 7-5, 6-0.
At the No. 6 position, freshman Vincent Allegre also came up
big, as he dispatched Ernacio in straight sets, 7-5, 6-0.
The Horned Frogs were able to put the fear of God into the
Bruins as the match wore on, for they pulled the match score to 3-2
as Ashley Fisher defeated Heath Montgomery 6-4, 6-3 at the fourth
spot, and Srdjan Muskatirovic fell to David Rodidi 6-2, 7-6. With
Matt Breen just starting a third set, the situation grew tense, but
Taino came up with the clinching victory as he knocked off Corrales
6-3, 6-2.
Having finally provided themselves with the chance to win a
championship, the Bruins are but one step away from satisfying
their expectations and rebuilding the pedestal overlooking
collegiate men’s tennis that the Bruins once occupied.
"It feels good but we’re certainly not satisfied," Martin said.
"If we don’t win (today) I think we’re going to feel low. We want
to live up to their potential and really solidify UCLA’s comeback
in collegiate tennis.
"In 10 years we haven’t won any titles so we have something to
prove."
With the other semifinal match pitting Stanford and the
University of Georgia still in progress at press time, the Bruins’
opponent in the final is undecided, but it is a pick between the
lesser of two evils. Either UCLA gets to avenge the loss it
suffered to the Cardinal in last year’s tournament or it gets to
quiet the 5,000-plus Bulldog fans that have come out each day. One
way or the other, the Bruins are brimming with confidence.
"We just have to play up to our potential," Martin said. "If we
play well and keep our poise we should win."
And wash away four melancholy years in the process.
SCOTT O/Daily Bruin
No. 1 Justin Gimelstob had no problem with No. 2 Paul Robins in
the semi-final match with TCU.