The casual observer of a men’s tennis match can witness many key aspects of the game ““ a killer serve, a flurry of winning volleys or a game-winning cross-court shot.
But what the casual observer can’t see happening is equally important to the success of any match ““ the inner dialogue of a player’s mental game.
It’s thoughts of, “Oh no, he’s found my weakness,” “Double fault? You don’t have time to double fault,” or “If he hits that slice one more time, I’m going to slam my racket into a wall” that can often swing a match in favor of the more calm-headed player.
And a player’s inner doubts can be compounded exponentially by a heckling crowd.
In the face of these mental obstacles, the UCLA men’s tennis team has a history of keeping its cool.
In Chicago last weekend at the USTA/ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championships, UCLA played Illinois, which had an overwhelming majority of fans in its home-state stands. With the crowd strongly against them, the Bruins won 4-3.
“To keep your composure, it’s a little bit of a poker face,” UCLA coach Billy Martin said. “You don’t want to show the opponent how upset you are, how flustered you might be.”
This mentality will be key if No. 6 UCLA goes against No. 1 Georgia in the season-ending NCAA Championships in Athens, Ga.
“The Georgia crowd is very, very vocal,” said Martin, who has been witness to four Bruin losses to the Bulldogs in past NCAA tournaments.
With the prospect of Georgia’s unfriendly crowd months away, the Bruins still have their share of upcoming mental games to battle.
Next Wednesday’s match against No. 9 Pepperdine will be a chance for the Bruins to redeem themselves after being ousted by the Waves in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament last season.
A March 9 match at USC will bring “as vicious a crowd as we’re playing,” Martin said. And a trip to Stanford, who “certainly holds no love for us,” will also challenge the team, he added.
Unfriendly, jeering crowds are old news for the team’s seasoned players. In fact, some players thrive on them.
“I like to play in front of a hostile crowd rather than no crowd,” senior Benjamin Kohlloeffel said. “Even if they’re not cheering for you all the time, you know you’re playing in front of a crowd.”
Senior Chris Surapol agreed.
“I love playing in front of a crowd, if it’s either for me or against me,” Surapol said. “I feel like the match has more significance.”
For the younger players who don’t have the same zeal for hecklers, Surapol knows how to calm them.
“There’s nothing you say to them, it’s more how you act,” he said.
“If you’re on a building and someone says, “˜Don’t look down, you’re going to be scared,’ you’re still going to be scared. It’s more of the attitude. If you feel comfortable, people around you (are comfortable).”
Kohlloeffel has an easy strategy for staying calm ““ never give up enough points to get down.
“As long as you’re up or even, and you play well, the crowd will be quiet,” he said.
Currently 6-0 in No. 1 singles play, Kohlloeffel doesn’t seem to be having trouble playing well, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“In my 24th year of coaching, I feel he is the overall best player and best competitor we’ve probably ever had,” Martin said.
The secret for the reigning NCAA singles champion: It’s all in his head.