COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS “”mdash; The whirlwind 2009 season finally came to
an end for the Bruin men’s tennis team on Monday. After winning a 4-3
battle in the NCAA quarterfinals to upset No. 2 Mississippi, No. 7 UCLA
came out on the other end of that same score the next day against No. 3
Ohio State.
For the second straight day, the match would come down to
one singles court. With the match tied 3-3, Bruin senior Harel Srugo
dropped a three-set marathon to the Buckeye freshman Justin Kronauge.
Despite a 7-5 first set win, UCLA’s senior captain could not close it
out and lost the final two sets, 3-6, 4-6.
After UCLA won the doubles
point, the teams stayed relatively even throughout the day, but OSU
would ultimately finish stronger, winning four of the six singles
matches. The Bruins’ only singles victories came from senior Michael
Look at Court 5 and sophomore Holden Seguso on Court 4, who each took
their matches in straight sets.
This was UCLA’s second straight year losing in the NCAA semifinals, going out at the hands of the University of Texas in 2008.
Despite 16 consecutive trips to the NCAA quarterfinals, UCLA coach Billy Martinhas amassed just one NCAA championship, in 2005.
In
the day’s other match at Texas A&M’s George P. Mitchell Tennis
Center, No. 8 USC defeated No. 12 Texas, 4-1, setting up a
Buckeye-Trojan finale on Tuesday for the NCAA title.
Compiled by Eli Smukler, Bruin Sports senior staff.