It’s inevitable that the UCLA men’s tennis team will
be challenged this season. But historically, that challenge never
seems to come in January.
Following their 7-0 win over Fresno State on Thursday at the Los
Angeles Tennis Center, the Bruins improved to 16-0 in January over
the last five years.
“I try not to schedule the hardest matches at the start of
the season,” coach Billy Martin said. “It’s good
for the young guys to get the jitters out and work into the
season.”
With only two starters returning from last year’s team,
new faces are gaining match experience and trying to prove they
belong in the starting lineup.
Sophomore Chris Surapol, playing in his first dual match since
last February, took advantage of the opportunity by beating Jure
Kekez, 6-3, 6-2, at the No. 6 position.
“I was a little nervous,” Surapol said.
“We’re such a deep team, any one of us can fill in at
that spot. When I get this opportunity, I better take advantage of
it.”
Still, some Bruins did struggle en route to the shutout victory.
Coming off the doubles championship at the Sherwood Collegiate Cup
last weekend, juniors Kris Kwinta and Alberto Francis struggled to
a 9-7 win over Sergiu Modoc and Greg Shearer at the No. 1 spot.
While Francis rebounded to record a 6-4, 6-1 win over Modoc at
No. 4 singles, Kwinta’s struggles continued. Midway through
his first singles set against Stefan Suta, Kwinta got stung by a
bee on his hand.
“I played horrible in doubles and it continued in
singles,” he said. “I got stung by a bee, and I started
complaining.”
Nevertheless, he was able to overcome a set point in the second
set to win 6-2, 7-6 (8).
“Kwinta played so well last weekend, and this was a far
cry from that,” Martin said.
Junior Chris Lam and freshman Philipp Gruendler also had some
difficulties in their matches at the No. 2 and No. 5 positions.
Gruendler lost the first set against Jakub Cech 6-3, the first
set the Bruins dropped this season. However, he came back strong to
win the second set 6-4 and dominated the third set, winning
6-1.
Like Gruendler, Lam also got off to a slow start. Down 4-1 in
the first set against Shearer, he battled back to win the first set
in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (4) and held on to win the second set 6-4.
“I struggled in the first set,” Lam said.
Senior All-American Tobias Clemens was the lone Bruin in the top
half of the lineup who coasted to victory. After winning his third
consecutive Sherwood Collegiate Cup, Clemens maintained his high
level of play, beating Alex Krohn, 6-2, 6-2.
“They don’t get much better in college
tennis,” Krohn said of Clemens. “It’s a good
learning experience coming to play UCLA.”
While Fresno State looks at the match as a learning experience,
the Bruins approach it as a tune-up.
“This was a walk-through station for our bigger
matches,” Clemens said. “We’re going to be
banging heads with the toughest teams.”
Indeed, the schedule will get more tough fast for the Bruins.
They face Clemson University and USC next week before heading out
to the USTA/ITA National Team Indoors, which begin Feb. 5.