When the UCLA men’s tennis team looked at the bracket
prior to the beginning of the NCAA Tournament, there was one
particular thing that stood out ““ the incredible chance for
revenge. The Bruins knew that if everything went according to plan,
they would have a unique opportunity to avenge three of their last
four losses, including the most hurtful: a 4-0 loss to Baylor in
last season’s NCAA championship match. UCLA executed the plan
to perfection, and with Tuesday’s 4-3 victory over Baylor in
the NCAA final, the ultimate revenge was complete. “We were
talking about it all season,” said sophomore Philipp
Gruendler, whose win at No. 6 singles gave the Bruins a chance to
complete their comeback from 3-1 down. “We had three season
losses and were talking about all the revenge we could get.
“We got the final revenge in the final. How could it be
better?” Frankly, it couldn’t. UCLA’s last four
losses, dating back to the end of last season, had come against
Cal, USC, Virginia and Baylor. After defeating USC in the final
match of the regular season, the national champion Bruins (27-3)
defeated Cal in the second round, second-seeded Virginia in the
quarterfinals, and top-seeded Baylor (33-1) in the title match,
snapping the Bears’ 57-game winning streak. “Throughout
the season, we were looking at the silver trophy for second-place
finishers last year,” senior Kris Kwinta said. “It was
just making everybody sick, and it made everybody work harder
toward the championship.” Before the tournament began, UCLA
coach Billy Martin talked about the psychological advantage a team
usually has when it is attempting to avenge a loss, particularly in
a tournament situation. Martin was especially pleased to see his
team’s draw, and now there is little wonder why.
“It’s just amazing to get revenge for all the matches
you lost,” Gruendler said. “Those losses, they make you
tough. “It was perfect. It was a perfect season.”
DOUBLES DEBACLE: Much like last season’s NCAA
Championship, the Bruins were absolutely destroyed in doubles
Tuesday, allowing Baylor to race out to a quick 1-0 advantage with
victories at No. 2 and No. 3. “If it was possible to do a
worse job in doubles than we did against them last year, I think we
did that,” Martin said. The Bruin coach said he expressed his
extreme disappointment with his players’ intensity as he
addressed them during the break between doubles and singles.
Whatever was said, it must have worked. “Last year when we
lost the doubles against Baylor, I was kind of down,” Kwinta
said. “This year I was pissed off. I didn’t care. I
wanted to go to the courts as soon as possible and start fighting
with the guy. “I was pissed off with myself, my teammates,
that we let up in the doubles.” Senior Alberto Francis
received some extra motivation from a Baylor fan as he was leaving
the court after losing the doubles point. “He said,
“˜You guys still suck, just like last year,'”
Francis said. “And that really pissed me off. That kind of
just lit a fire.”
NCAA SINGLES TOURNEY: Sophomore Ben Kohlloeffel is the only
Bruin competing in the NCAA Singles Tournament after senior Luben
Pampoulov withdrew. Kohlloeffel, a 9-16 seed, defeated Tim Eklund
of South Carolina, 6-4, 6-4, in yesterday’s first round. He
faces Virginia’s Rylan Rizza in the Round of 32 today.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Kohlloeffel (No. 2), Francis (No. 5) and
Gruendler (No. 6) were all named to the All-Tournament Team. The
doubles team of Francis and Kwinta was named to the All-Tournament
Team at the No. 1 doubles position. Baylor’s Benedikt Dorsch
was named Most Outstanding Player for the second consecutive
season.
TELEVISION COVERAGE: The NCAA Championship will be replayed on
channel ESPN2 on May 31 at 12 p.m. PST.