With their sights set on the NCAA Championship this year, the
UCLA men’s tennis team is even more capable of accomplishing
the feat than they were a year ago.
However, it’s not because of the addition of any players
to the already talented and deep lineup. Nor is it because of the
return of any particular individual.
In fact, this year’s team is almost identical to that of
last year.
“Our team didn’t change that much,” senior
Philipp Gruendler said. “No guys left, so UCLA should still
be up there.”
The Bruins are actually considered to be one of the top teams,
landing a No. 4 preseason ranking behind Georgia, Baylor and Ohio
State.
Still, the ranking was lower than coach Billy Martin had
expected, though he acknowledged the talent of Georgia’s team
after it acquired the University of Texas’ top-seeded player,
No. 22 Travis Helgeson.
But seeing Ohio State’s ranking was a slight surprise for
Martin, as the Buckeyes lost two of their top six players and
arguably one of the top doubles teams in the nation for the past
few years.
The Bruins aren’t letting the ranking negatively affect
their approach to the season, though, as they use it as another
source of motivation to return to the top of the collegiate game as
they had in 2005.
“I expected to be No. 1 or No. 2, but it will motivate us
to prove ourselves,” sophomore Haythem Abid said.
“It’s good because people don’t expect us to
be too solid, but I think we will be.”
There is a noticeable difference in the atmosphere around
practices this season, even though there have only been a handful
thus far. There is a different mind-set around the courts of the
Los Angeles Tennis Center.
The Bruins know what they are capable of and are doing
everything they can to get to that ultimate goal of a national
title.
“We know we have a good chance so we don’t want to
let the small things affect us,” Abid said. “We try to
play our best and be in shape everyday so we can be ready for the
last week of the season. We’re in the mood to practice as
hard as we can to do as well as we can.”
Though the Bruin lineup is up in the air for the most part, the
No. 1 spot will most likely be filled by senior Benjamin
Kohlloeffel, who won the NCAA men’s singles championship last
season and defended his Intercollegiate Tennis Association National
Intercollegiate Indoor Championships title during the fall
season.
Kohlloeffel was ranked No. 5 in the Fila Collegiate Tennis
Rankings on Tuesday behind four players he has already defeated in
his tenure as a Bruin.
Joining Kohlloeffel in the rankings is fellow senior Chris
Surapol, who checks in at No. 27. Surapol is coming off a fall
season to remember and is on a hunt to capture an elusive 100th
career singles win at UCLA, sitting at 82 prior to the dual match
season.
“It would really mean a lot to me, individually, to get to
100 wins,” Surapol said. “I’m looking forward to
leading this group of guys.”
But as far as the rest of the lineup is concerned, Martin will
have to pay close attention to how the members of the team fare in
this weekend’s tournaments prior to making a decision.
“My D-Day is the afternoon of the 17th, when I announce
our lineup for the match on the 18th,” Martin said.
“I’ve got another (six) days to go before I have a lot
of guys not liking me too much.”
Some of this year’s frontrunners for the spots are likely
to be last year’s returners: Kohlloeffel, Abid, junior
Mathieu Dehaine, Surapol, sophomore Michael Look and senior Philipp
Gruendler.
But regardless of which six players get chosen for the singles
lineup, only one result is expected ““ a national title.
“Our expectations are very, very high,” Martin
said.
“I think we feel we have a good chance to win the NCAA
Championships. Much better than I thought we did last year.
We’re really shooting for the stars and we have a good
chance.”