What do you get when you take four veteran players away from a
team that went all the way to the NCAA semifinals one season
ago?
Well, you get some inexperienced players in situations
they’ve never seen before. But the UCLA men’s tennis
team hopes you also get a national title contender.
The fourth-seeded Bruins enter Saturday’s Round of 16
match-up with Texas A&M in Tulsa, Okla. lacking a lot of NCAA
tournament experience. But though only three of the six players who
will start in singles for UCLA have played in an NCAA tournament
prior to this season, the Bruins aren’t terribly
concerned.
“I don’t think that you have to have experienced it
to win it,” freshman Philipp Gruendler said. “We will
go there as a team and win it as a team.”
Gruendler, who starts at No. 6 singles and No. 2 doubles, is one
of four Bruin newcomers in the starting singles lineup.
Joining him are Alberto Francis, who played doubles in last
year’s tournament, Kris Kwinta, who transferred from
Tennessee, and Luben Pampoulov, who became eligible to compete at
the beginning of April.
But according to coach Billy Martin, these aren’t any
ordinary rookies. All but Francis have tournament experience
playing in Europe, and all are older than typical students in their
classes.
Pampoulov is a perfect example. The Austrian junior has traveled
the world playing in tournaments, and he has seen the highs and
lows that it can bring.
“I’m not too worried about Luben,” Martin
said. “He’s just so mature, and he’s handled
himself so well.”
Pampoulov has been a key element of the team’s recent
success. Since he joined the Bruins in April, UCLA has reeled off
eight consecutive victories. Because he’s so experienced, the
prospect of tournament pressure doesn’t bother him.
“Once you’re on the court, it’s just like any
tennis match,” Pampoulov said. “In the back of your
mind, you know the importance of it, but it doesn’t affect
you.”
For Gruendler, who is undefeated since moving to the No. 6
singles spot and undefeated with Pampoulov in doubles, the attitude
is similar.
“We were all looking forward to playing in this
tournament,” he said. “We all want to win, so we have
the same goals.”
It is the freshman’s nonchalant mannerisms that will
likely keep the tension at a minimum. According to senior Tobias
Clemens, nothing appears to bother Gruendler as he simply goes
about his business on the tennis court.
“There are a lot of guys on the team who are just very
loose,” Clemens said. “The world could go down and
(Gruendler) wouldn’t care. He would be like, “˜I’m
Philipp; I’m cool.'”
That same attitude is reflected in how Gruendler reacts to
teammates when they try to force him to do the menial tasks
typically reserved for freshmen.
“I think I’m too cool for that,” he said.
“They will ask me, but I will just laugh at them.”
As for Kwinta and Francis, Martin feels they will be fine.
Francis has played doubles in the tournament in each of the last
two seasons, and Kwinta is 24 years old.
The fact remains, however, that the NCAA tournament will be
different from anything many of these players have ever seen. Many
played at the National Team Indoors, where the format is similar
but the end prize is not nearly as grand. The NCAA tournament
requires four straight days of victories to take home a ring
““ no easy task.
Take it from someone who knows.
“You can never really create this kind of tension and
atmosphere,” said Clemens, whose team has lost in the
quarterfinals or semifinals in his three seasons of collegiate
competition. “It’s so special.”
But just because it cannot be created doesn’t mean Clemens
is counting his team out.
“The inexperience is not going to hurt us,” he
said.