While there may be no substitute for experience, the UCLA
men’s tennis team is going to do its best to find one.
With the NCAA Tournament set to start Saturday when the
10th-seeded Bruins (17-5) host Stony Brook (14-6), many players
will be entering uncharted territory.
“I don’t think I can grasp it yet,” freshman
Michael Look said. “They say it’s nothing like
we’ve played all season.”
For Look and fellow freshman Haythem Abid, the only NCAA
Tournament experience they have is watching the DVD from last
season. Sophomores Mathieu Dehaine and Jeremy Drean were there to
witness last season’s NCAA title, but this year will present
an entirely new challenge.
“I’ve watched it, but I didn’t play,”
Dehaine said. “It’s going to be different.”
Different indeed.
If UCLA is able to win its first two matches this weekend and
book a place in the Sweet 16, the true pressures of the NCAA
Tournament will become apparent.
Opponents are better, spectators are more numerous, and stakes
are higher. One loss and the season is finished.
These four untested youngsters will likely need to play beyond
their years for the Bruins to have a reasonable chance of defending
their title. UCLA’s national-title squad of last season
featured four seniors and a wealth of experience.
So is this year’s inexperience a concern?
“Yes and no,” coach Billy Martin said. “I
certainly feel that’s true with any team.”
Then Martin provided a rundown of his team.
The 13-year Bruin coach, who has never had a team lose before
the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament, has the utmost confidence
in his three juniors, Ben Kohlloeffel, Philipp Gruendler and Chris
Surapol.
Kohlloeffel, ranked No. 1 in the country, didn’t lose a
match in his first NCAA Tournament last season.
Gruendler has proven himself a fierce tournament competitor,
winning critical matches late in the tournament in 2004 and 2005.
His come-from-behind victory over Baylor’s Vladimir Portnov
last season gave the Bruins the chance to complete their incredible
comeback for the national title.
And Surapol got a taste of the NCAA Tournament in 2004 when he
played at the No. 3 doubles position with Tobias Clemens.
“Experience helps a lot, just knowing the atmosphere,
“ Surapol said. “Everything is at stake.”
As for the four Bruins who have yet to play an NCAA Tournament
match, Martin expressed confidence in each of them.
Abid, thrown into the No. 2 position this season, has played
Davis Cup matches for his native Tunisia. He said that’s the
most pressure he’s ever faced as a tennis player.
Martin said Dehaine, Drean and Look all have the maturity to
handle the emotional rigors of tournament play.
“We’ve got to let the chips fall where they
may,” Martin said. “But whatever happens this year,
it’s still building blocks for next year. I’ve told
them all along, if we falter because of our inexperience, it will
help us.
“Let’s just hope we don’t have any of those
real roadblocks and hiccups that cost us a match.”
Surapol said the most significant difference between the regular
season and the NCAA Tournament is the pressure players feel as a
close match nears its completion and partisan spectators continue
to gather.
“It really hurts when the match is really close, if
you’re last or second to last,” Surapol said.
“That’s where it really kicks in with your nerves. If
you’ve never been there before, it’s tough. But if you
just come out and play good tennis before any of that stuff can
happen, you’ll be okay.”
There’s also the school of thought that says the freshmen
have nothing to worry about because they don’t know any
better.
“I guess that’s what’s kind of good about
being a freshman,” Look said. “I don’t know what
to expect, so I can’t be nervous.
“I’m more excited than nervous, and I think
that’s probably a good thing.”
Abid expressed a similar sentiment.
“I have no idea what it’s like, but I can
imagine,” Abid said. “It’s very important. Last
year they won, so we want to defend that.”
Then again, there’s no substitute for experience. Just ask
a grizzled veteran.
“It doesn’t feel that different,” Kohlloeffel
said. “I’ve been through it once, and maybe that makes
a difference.
“Since I’ve done it, I know what it’s all
about.”
Soon, everyone will know.