The doubles point can often turn the tide of a tennis match.
It establishes an early lead for the winner, creates momentum and can be the decisive point in close matches.
Following last weekend’s losses to California and Stanford, UCLA women’s tennis coach Stella Sampras Webster addressed the need for improvement in the No. 7 Bruins’ doubles play. UCLA (4-2) dropped the doubles point in both matches, which prompted Sampras Webster to consider some team changes for today’s match against UC Irvine at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.
“We have an opportunity to mix up our teams and to put them out there to see how they compete,” Sampras Webster said. “We want to see what (doubles) teams fit, and we want to improve on them.”
The Bruins have put the issue in focus, concentrating on doubles matchups in the practices preceding today’s match.
“We’ve been working on it the past few days,” junior McCall Jones said. “We worked on doubles drills and figuring out new combinations for partners. Hopefully we can find two teams that are really compatible to help us win the doubles point.”
Jones may not want to see a change in partners, as she and doubles partner senior Noelle Hickey won both of their doubles matches last weekend. No tandems or lineups, however, are set in stone.
“(Monday) was our first practice day, and I’ve already played with two other people,” senior Andrea Remynse said. “Everybody played with other people this week. I don’t know what Stella is going to come up with tomorrow, but I know it’ll be a complete makeover for our doubles.”
The mix-and-match test will come against UC Irvine (1-2), a team the Bruins easily downed last year, 7-0. Sampras Webster said that the team will not take the Anteaters lightly and will be excited just be able to go back and compete.
“They’re going to look forward to getting back out there,” Sampras Webster said. “They’ll see the progress they’re making individually and what we’re making as a team.”
In addition to gauging their progress, the Bruins will also use the match as an opportunity to prepare players for the rest of the season.
“Players that need to play will be playing, and those that need to rest will have the opportunity to rest,” Sampras Webster said. “And this is a great match for competing players to work on what they need to improve.”
Following today’s match, they have one more home match before heading to the National Indoor Championships, where they will potentially face Top-10 teams.