A lot can be gathered about a team by seeing how it responds to
adversity and disappointment.
With that, a lot will be gathered about the UCLA men’s
tennis team this weekend as it travels to face Arizona State today
and Arizona on Saturday.
The last time the No. 8 Bruins (12-2) took the court, they
suffered an incredible collapse and lost, 5-2, to crosstown rival
USC. It was the kind of loss that’s difficult to explain, the
kind of loss that makes one want to play again simply to make
amends.
“We let that match go,” senior Kris Kwinta said.
“It gave us more motivation to work harder.”
After winning the doubles point against the Trojans and taking
the first set in four of six singles matches, it appeared UCLA
would coast to an easy victory. That clearly wasn’t the
case.
“I think the guys have definitely learned from that
‘SC loss, and it might have been a blessing in
disguise,” assistant coach Jason Sher said. “Maybe the
guys realized that we have to work harder and maybe we’re not
as good as we think.”
Interestingly, the Arizona State match was the time when that
realization happened last year. After reaching the finals of the
National Team Indoors last season, the Bruins traveled to Tempe,
Ariz., and lost to the Sun Devils for only the second time in the
program’s storied history. And though 56-2 all-time still
looks pretty impressive, the Bruins don’t want a repeat
performance.
The altitude was partly to blame for the poor performance last
season, prompting UCLA to travel to the desert on Wednesday so it
could get two practices in on Thursday and adjust to the
altitude.
“We’re more used to it now,” said Kwinta, who
will play at the No. 2 position this weekend. “No surprises
like last year.”
At high altitude, shots that would be winners at sea level sail
long, making everyone play a bit more conservatively.
“You have to adjust,” Philipp Gruendler said.
“During today’s practice I was a little bit
surprised.”
The Bruins hope there will be no surprises today, as they look
to get back on track without Luben Pampoulov, the team’s No.
1 player, in the lineup. UCLA coach Billy Martin has vowed to give
Pampoulov several weeks off to allow the pinched nerve in his neck
to heal. That means everyone else has to step up, and prove what
this team really is.
“We all know that we are a much better team than the one
that lost to USC, so we’re looking to get back on track, and
this is a good place to start,” Sher said.