The greatest rivalry in the history of collegiate tennis will be
renewed again today, as the Bruins head to Palo Alto to take on
Stanford.
It’s a rivalry that has produced countless All-Americans,
many successful professionals and more national championships than
one could count on one’s fingers and toes.
But this time the battle will take on a little extra
meaning.
That’s because this is the last time Stanford coach Dick
Gould will ever face UCLA in the regular season. After 38 years and
17 national championships, Gould is retiring at season’s
end.
“With it being coach Gould’s last two regular-season
matches, it will be a very special thing,” UCLA coach Billy
Martin said. “I’m sure his players will fight even
harder.”
But when Martin’s team rolls into Palo Alto, the Bruins
will need to focus on something more important than the impending
retirement of a legend. They have to worry about winning.
With the NCAA championships fast approaching, No. 4 UCLA (16-5,
4-1 Pac-10) likely needs to win its final two regular season
matches against No. 11 Stanford (15-6, 4-1) and California (7-14,
2-3) to wrap up the fourth seed for the tournament.
“We’re a really determined young group, and
we’re ready to get the title this year,” UCLA senior
Tobias Clemens said.
Part of the Bruins’ determination may spring from the
bitter taste of defeat the team had to endure earlier in the
season. At one point, UCLA suffered through a three-match losing
streak.
“I feel like this team is pretty determined, and
they’ve had enough losses where that taste is something they
remember,” Martin said. “Losing isn’t real
detrimental. In some ways it’s not bad.”
Last year was a little different for the Bruins, as they
essentially breezed through the regular season, losing only three
times before a loss to Vanderbilt in the NCAA semifinals.
But last year’s veteran squad was quite a bit different
from this season’s team. Only two players returned this year
from last year’s starting six, and just recently the team has
really started to come together.
UCLA has won its last seven matches, thanks in large part to the
performances from the bottom half of the lineup, courts 4 through
6.
Since the insertion of junior Luben Pampoulov into the lineup at
No. 2, the back part of the lineup has finally been solidified.
Alberto Francis, Kris Kwinta and Philipp Gruendler were all pushed
down a spot from where they had been playing, and each has adjusted
incredibly well to his new role.
No one has fared better than Gruendler, who has absolutely
dominated his four matches at No. 6.
“We have done a great job at 4, 5 and 6,” said coach
Jason Sher, who is in charge of coaching the bottom half of the
lineup. “Philipp has been playing his best tennis of the
year. He’s just really been much better than most of the
players.”
Sher believes the Bruins are among the best in the country at 4
through 6, a key component of any team with national title
aspirations.
“All college teams have a solid 1, 2, 3,” Sher said.
“We’re as strong as anybody in the back of the
lineup.”
UCLA proved itself to be much stronger than Stanford in the
teams’ previous meeting, a 5-2 Bruin victory. The most
surprising outcome in that match was an upset at No. 1 singles,
where the sixth-ranked Clemens fell in straight sets to Sam
Warburg.
But revenge isn’t on Clemens’ mind today.
“It doesn’t mean anything to me,” he said.
“I just want to play good tennis, so I can develop as a
tennis player.”