Last season, UCLA men’s tennis finished undefeated at home en route to a 22-6 overall record and NCAA Tournament quarterfinals berth.
This year’s team begins its defense of home court when No. 6 UCLA host matches against George Washington and Grand Canyon on Thursday to open the regular season.
“The first matches of the year generally are a little nerve-wracking for even the returning guys,” said coach Billy Martin. “(Hopefully) everybody can get that out of their system.”
Martin said the Bruins aim to use the doubleheader as an opportunity for most of their roster to see game action before the lineups are solidified.
“We’re going to probably have as many as 10 guys play at least one match,” Martin said. “(The doubleheader) allows us a little bit of leeway as far as trying to get everybody to contribute.”
The team has prepared extensively through participating in preseason tournaments, culminating with this past weekend’s Sherwood Collegiate Cup.
[Related: UCLA men’s tennis has strong showing in Sherwood Collegiate Cup]
Now, the Bruins await the opportunity to finally play matches that count in the win-loss column.
“We’re all pretty anxious to get out there, start playing the matches and show what we can do,” said senior Austin Rapp.
UCLA swept Grand Canyon 7-0 in last year’s home opener. However, given that the team has only been practicing together for a short time following the extended winter break, the Bruins are not taking either of their opponents lightly.
“We have a big target on our backs, so (our opponents) are going to be hungry, and they’re going to give it their all to try and get a win,” said senior Martin Redlicki.
Last season, Grand Canyon, whose roster consists entirely of international players, attained a 15-10 overall record, including a 4-1 mark against Western Athletic Conference teams.
Meanwhile, George Washington finished 17-7 overall with a 3-2 record in Atlantic 10 Conference matches. Unlike Grand Canyon, whose players UCLA encountered at past regional tournaments, George Washington will be an unfamiliar foe to UCLA.
“Both teams consist of a lot of foreign guys that we don’t know real well,” Martin said. “(But) I think we’re strong enough this year where I’m hoping that we don’t have to worry too much about our opponent if we stick to doing the things that we need to do.”
Ranked sixth in the preseason polls, the Bruins aspire to reclaim the Pac-12 title and improve upon last season’s defeat in the NCAA quarterfinals.
“I think everyone on the team has pretty high hopes for the season,” Rapp said. “I feel probably going into a season the best I ever have since I’ve been here.”
The team will be playing its home matches at Los Angeles Tennis Center after spending last season at the Sunset Canyon Tennis Courts.