It came as no surprise to UCLA coach Billy Martin that the No. 9 UCLA men’s tennis team’s ticket to Athens, Ga., for the Sweet 16 was punched by three seniors who contributed to the win over Texas Tech in the Round of 32.
A day after the Bruins shut out UNLV in the opening round, they handed the Red Raiders a similar fate, posting a 4-0 shutout victory over the visitors.
However, the shutout wasn’t as easy for the Bruins as the first, with sets in all the singles matches remaining close until UCLA was able to begin breaking the Raiders’ serves.
“The matches were tight in the first sets of all of them,” Martin said. “Texas Tech is just a hard-fighting team and we just had to earn it against them.”
It was the Bruin seniors, Benjamin Kohlloeffel, Philipp Gruendler and Chris Surapol, who pulled out wins in singles play to clinch the second round match for the Bruins.
For the trio, it was the last home match of their career, and they made sure to leave on the right note.
“It was only fitting it was our last match that we played at home,” Surapol said. “I knew that I wanted to go out playing well, so I was really focused more than anything.”
But whether or not the seniors had been able to finish their matches with wins, Martin felt comfortable with his remaining players, as junior Mathieu Dehaine was a game away from winning his match on court No. 5, and sophomores Haythem Abid and Michael Look were also in close matches.
Coming into the match, UCLA was aware that it was the favorite of the two teams but made sure not to count out the Red Raiders.
“It was kind of expected to win, but we didn’t underestimate the team, which is important for these matches,” Abid said.
“We have to treat each match as though it could be our last, and we don’t want to look too far ahead. It’s important to get focused,” Abid said.
The Bruins will now shift their focus to Oklahoma State, the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Championships this season. The Cowboys also recorded a shutout in their second round match over rival Oklahoma. “I’d say they’re a better singles-playing team than doubles, but certainly a solid team,” Martin said of Oklahoma State.
The winner of the match will likely face off against the nation’s top-seeded Georgia, which has lost just one match in the last two seasons.