The Bruins are happy to be back home and outdoors.
After playing its last four matches away and on indoor courts, the No. 21 UCLA men’s tennis team (6-5) faces off against Stanford (6-2) on its home courts Saturday.
The team this past week in practice has been focusing on the remedying the mistakes it made in the loss against Baylor last weekend.
“We did a lot of doubles work (Tuesday) because our doubles came up a little short in (Waco, Texas). Everyone lost, like (sophomore Mackenzie McDonald) and I were losing, one of the only times this year,” said freshman Martin Redlicki. “(Wednesday) was a lot singles work, just a lot of point-based work because that’s what we feel we need to be the best we can.”
Redlicki said he is confident that UCLA will come away with a win against Stanford, but is worried that it will come down to the last couple of matches.
“I feel like the top of our lineup is stronger than their top of the lineup, and then our lower halves are more evened out,” Redlicki said. “So I feel like it is going to come down to the lower courts and the doubles point for sure.”
The Bruins have gone undefeated against the Cardinal the last three years. Freshman Austin Rapp said his match experience against two of the Cardinal players will hopefully help them in preparation for Saturday.
“I played (Stanford’s David Hsu) in San Francisco earlier in the year and I lost, but beating him in Sherwood first round was definitely a big win for me. He was seeded at the tournament,” Rapp said. “That’s where I started to feel like I was playing better. It gave me some confidence. I know he is a good player individual.”
Rapp played Hsu at the Sherwood Collegiate Cup back in January, and beat him 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(1).
“The other guy, (Stanford’s Tom Fawcett), it wasn’t like an official match but we went out there and played it like it was. I lost two close sets. It was like 4-6, 5-7.”
Fawcett is the nation’s No. 26 singles player is most likely to play No. 3 sophomore Mackenzie McDonald at the No. 1 singles position.
So far this season all five of the UCLA’s losses have been on indoors courts. Assistant coach Grant Chen said that all the indoor experience was good for the Bruins especially since they might have to play on indoor courts in the NCAA tournament in May.
“We have spent most of February indoors which is always tricky and an adjustment and it’s always a little different style. The conditions are certainly different,” Chen said. “I think being back outdoors and back at home will be good for us.”