Despite a mediocre performance this weekend, the UCLA men’s tennis team is still confident going up against Brigham Young University, a team with which it has traditionally found success.
The UCLA men’s tennis team will start its dual-match season today with a home match against BYU, who the Bruins have beat all 14 times the schools have played. The Bruins are looking to kick off the season in strong fashion against the Cougars after earning a mixed result at the Sherwood Collegiate Cup this past weekend.
“I can’t say I was absolutely thrilled with everyone’s performance,” coach Billy Martin said. “Some of the guys I thought performed very well. Some of the guys didn’t have a great showing. But all in all we got some great matches, got some competition … which is what we wanted to accomplish with the event.”
Particularly the team will have to improve its serving in order to win its first match and to continue to have a successful season.
“I think we really have to do a little better job serving, better percentage of first serves, less double faults,” Martin said. “I thought a few of the guys were double faulting way too much, giving points away, which we can’t afford to do.”
The Bruins will face a BYU team coached by former UCLA player Brad Pearce, who played two seasons with the Bruins in the 1980s. Pearce won the Pac-10 singles and doubles championship before turning professional. After recent matches against the Cougars, UCLA should be familiar with BYU ““ which the Bruins hope translates into a victory.
“I think we’ll have a good chance,” Martin said. “We’ve played them quite a few times. (Pearce’s) doing a good job with his team.”
In the Bruins’ last match against the Cougars in January 2007, UCLA defeated BYU, 7-0. However, a lot has changed in two years.
“Pearce does a great job and always has a competitive group of players,” Martin said. “One of our goals every year is to go undefeated at home, and so we’re going to be prepared each and every time.”
There might be added pressure given this will be the Bruins’ first home match.
“I’m a little nervous, (as are) even some of the veterans, although maybe not quite to the scale of the young freshmen possibly,” Martin said. “These are all good dress rehearsals for all the big matches down the line. I expect everybody to be a little jitterish, first team match, getting the feel, especially the young guys that haven’t been through the pre-match stuff.”
However, certain positives from the tournament this past weekend should translate into success. Junior Matt Brooklyn, a transfer from Arizona State, won the most and should play a crucial role if the team wants to find success today.
“I’m going to work on trying to stay composed and relaxed on the court,” Brooklyn said. “But one positive is that I thought I really competed pretty hard (last weekend). The competition was good. I’m trying to play at my level and hopefully it’ll go well.”
Following the cancellation of ASU’s tennis program, Brooklyn transferred to UCLA in the hopes of capturing an NCAA championship. He’s already found a difference in the team goals that are emphasized at his new school.
“The expectations are higher,” he said. “Working hard, the team spirit is all the same thing, (but) the expectations are to win a national title, rather than to make it to the last 16, which is really exciting to me.”
Although the transition to the new system has been hard for Brooklyn at times, he said he is optimistic about his chances to get back on his game.
“I know at the start it was kind of hard with so many great players on the team,” Brooklyn said. “It was tough. There was a lot of pressure to perform, and I struggled in the fall with that, but I started to improve. I played better this weekend, which is good to start the season.”
Additionally, Martin feels that Brooklyn’s performance will help the team.
“That was probably the highlight of the tournament at Sherwood, was Matt really playing well,” Martin said. “(He’s) feeling more comfortable out there. In the fall, he was a little uptight, being at UCLA wanting to prove himself. I think he sort of relaxed out there, started letting a little bit more of his true self come through.”
Overall, the Bruins hope to come out strong and kick off the season with a win, as everyone on the team is eager to begin the journey that could lead to an NCAA title.
“Playing my first home match here, I can’t wait,” Brooklyn said. “It’s going to be really exciting.”