There are different ways to approach the release of an NCAA
Tournament draw.
There’s the expression of unrestrained glee, the look of
abject disappointment, or the attitude of quiet confidence.
On Wednesday, with the release of the men’s tennis NCAA
Tournament bracket, the seventh-seeded Bruins (21-3) chose the path
of quiet confidence.
“I think it’s a very good draw for us,” UCLA
coach Billy Martin said.
For the Bruins, who begin play May 14 when they host Manhattan
at the Los Angeles Tennis Center, things couldn’t have gone
much better.
UCLA avoids playing USC and Stanford in the regionals, as those
Pac-10 foes were placed elsewhere. They will also avoid playing No.
1 and undefeated Baylor until the championship match, if they are
fortunate enough to get there.
“I’m happy with our draw,” sophomore Benjamin
Kohlloeffel said. “I’m glad Cal is in our regional
because it’s a less intense match than Stanford or
USC.”
Cal will face San Diego State in the first round, also at the
LATC. Though the Bruins were all very complimentary of the Golden
Bears, who beat UCLA, USC and Stanford to end the regular season,
they were also happy to avoid an intense rivalry match in the early
rounds of the tournament.
And then there’s the revenge factor, which could end up
being the theme of the Bruins’ tournament.
Assuming UCLA and Cal both win their first-round matches, the
Bruins will have a chance to make amends for that late-season loss
to the Bears. UCLA lost 4-3 on a cold and blustery day in
Berkeley.
“I said before that I would most like to play Cal, even if
they may be playing the best tennis of all three right now,”
Martin said. “I think we’ll be excited to prove that
last time shouldn’t have happened.”
If the Bruins are able to revert to their form from the
team’s first meeting with Cal, an impressive 7-0 victory at
the LATC, more chances for revenge loom on the horizon.
UCLA has a chance to face second-seeded Virginia in the
quarterfinals, the same team that defeated the Bruins in the second
round of the National Team Indoors, UCLA’s first loss of the
season.
The Bruins feel like that loss was an aberration, a match when
the team was a bit injured and a bit more overconfident.
“It would be exciting to have the chance to play Virginia
and get some redemption for our loss to them,” senior Chris
Lam said.
And no one wants to talk about it, because the chance looms five
victories away, but another opportunity to play Baylor has to be in
the minds of every single Bruin.
After an emotional victory over Illinois in last year’s
semifinals, UCLA was shellacked, 4-0, by Baylor in the
championship. Baylor has won 52 straight matches dating back to
last season.
But no one wants to get too far ahead of himself. “I
don’t want to look too far ahead,” Kohlloeffel said.
“That’s sort of what we did at the Indoors, and then we
lost to Virginia. If we lose, we don’t even make it to
Texas.”