This team had me fooled.
I thought it’d finally get the monkey off its back and win
the elusive NCAA Championship.
It just ran into a Baylor team that may have played one of the
best collegiate tennis matches ever.
Monday’s NCAA semifinal win over Illinois ““ a team
that had won 64 matches in a row ““ has to be the biggest
victory for UCLA men’s tennis in the last 20 years.
But the Bruins couldn’t take the next step.
They couldn’t do what has eluded them every year since
1984, despite being a top-5 team annually: win the NCAA
Championship.
The Bruins didn’t even come close.
UCLA lost 4-0 to Baylor on Tuesday night in the NCAA
Championship match, without even winning a full set.
Ouch.
Baylor was a very good team, and is a very deserving
champion.
But before Tuesday, I would’ve told you the Bruins were,
too.
UCLA hadn’t lost a match since before Luben Pampoulov
joined the team in late April.
But Tuesday, the Bruins got shut out.
Sad.
This team was so easy to root for. Tobias Clemens might be one
of the most likable athletes ever because of his outgoing, intense
personality. Philipp Gruendler, Alberto Francis, Pampoulov and the
other players were all great too.
This team gave you the feeling for the last couple of months
that it was the one that could win it all.
This was the team I thought could end the championship
drought.
It played well above expectations in winter, before Pampoulov
joined the team and emerged as one of the best players in the
country.
But the Bruins lost again.
You have to feel for coach Billy Martin. We live in a society
that overvalues championships and underappreciates sustained
success.
The Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Braves and Sacramento Kings are all
examples of teams people laugh at because of their playoff
performance. In their heyday, these teams were among the best in
the league every year, but something always happened in the
playoffs.
It’s not fair, really.
This sports society places one bad day above months of hard work
and success.
Throw UCLA men’s tennis into that mix of teams that just
can’t win it all.
UCLA has won 15 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships ““
but none since 1984, despite being in contention for one every
year.
There have been many heartbreaks over the years.
There have been years where the Bruins went undefeated, only to
lose in the NCAA Tournament final after one of their players got
injured.
There have been years where they had a great season, but lost to
an underdog who had an excellent day.
But lately, there haven’t been years where they’ve
been champions.
Many great players have come and gone during the 11-year Martin
era, and they have won many, many matches.
It’s sad.
You can’t blame this on Martin. He probably has as many or
more wins than any other coach in the country over that span, and
as recently as Monday managed to beat an unbeatable Illinois
squad.
It’s just bad luck at the wrong times.
As a fan, it’s depressing.
It’s just wait ’til next year.
Again.
E-mail Quiñonez at gquinonez@media.ucla.edu.