The Fresno State Bulldogs were undefeated when they came to
Westwood Jan. 24 to take on the No. 1 UCLA men’s tennis team
(5-0). They left as 7-0 losers. Since that match, the Bruins
haven’t faced another undefeated team, and they still
haven’t played a close match all season. In fact, the only
point they’ve surrendered was to USC last Friday in a 6-1
victory.
All that may change today when the Ohio State Buckeyes come to
town. They are 5-0 and ranked No. 24 nationally. And they, like the
Bruins, have dominated their early-season schedule, surrendering
only two points and shutting out the likes of Toledo, Butler and
West Virginia.
“They’re looking like they’re a pretty good
team,” UCLA head coach Billy Martin said. “We’d
better be ready to compete and come out with some good stuff, or we
could be surprised.”
The Buckeyes’ record could be deceiving, as they lack a
quality win and haven’t yet had to leave the friendly
confines of Columbus, Ohio to play a road match.
That changes today, and the Bruins realize that Ohio State has
come to Southern California for a reason.
“They came all the way from Ohio, and they didn’t
come here for vacation,” junior Tobias Clemens said.
The Buckeyes certainly have some of the star power necessary to
compete with the talented Bruins. Junior Jeremy Wurtzman is ranked
No. 7 in the country, and senior Vincent Ng holds the No. 45
position.
No. 12 Clemens will likely be Wurtzman’s opponent today in
what should be a very exciting match on court one.
“I probably have a pretty tough match coming up,”
Clemens said. “This is the first time this season that I will
have an underdog role.”
In addition to Clemens’ tough impending match, the
Bruins’ No. 2 position won’t have its usual occupant
today, as junior Marcin Matkowski is in his native Poland preparing
for the Davis Cup.
Without Matkowski in the lineup, other Bruins will have to step
up.
“(Matkowski) is a pretty big loss, but we’re excited
to contribute,” freshman Chris Surapol said.
Surapol has been solid in doubles, and he will likely fill
Matkowski’s doubles spot, teamed with senior Rodrigo Grilli
at No. 1.
Sophomore Alberto Francis will likely be inserted into the
singles lineup at No. 6, moving all the typical starters up one
place.
This will put Clemens at No. 1, Grilli at No. 2, senior Erfan
Djahangiri at No. 3, sophomore Chris Lam at No. 4, and senior Lassi
Ketola at No. 5.
Will this be the day that the mighty Bruins fall? According to
Martin, it depends how they perform.
“If we don’t play well, we could be in
trouble,” he said. “But if we play well, we have a good
chance to beat anybody.”