Stepping onto the tennis court to face Ben Kohlloeffel cannot be
a fun experience.
And it’s not just because he’s 39-4.
Nor is it because he’s ranked No. 1 in the country.
If anything, those facts make the prospect of facing Kohlloeffel
an exciting one. But it’s generally not exciting for long,
because from the first point to the last, the Bruin junior is
relentless. He doesn’t take any points off.
He is perhaps the most mentally tough player in the country, and
that above all else is what has propelled him to achieve such
incredible success this season.
“A lot of guys aren’t that competitive; aren’t
that hungry,” coach Billy Martin said. “To me,
they’re just looking for chances to relax.”
According to Martin, however, great players never give their
opponents a chance to rest.
“Their opponents feel like there’s constant
pressure,” he said. “Ben really is so far ahead of the
rest of the guys day in and day out with that.”
Colorado’s Eric Molnar, who is ranked No. 51 in the
country, got to experience that pressure firsthand on Sunday in the
second round of the NCAA Tournament. Kohlloeffel registered a 6-0,
6-0 victory against him in less than an hour before joining his
teammates in the stands as a spectator.
The second game of the first set typified Kohlloeffel’s
tenacious nature. After holding his serve to go up 1-0, he fell
behind 40-0 in the next game on Molnar’s serve. Five points
later, however, the set was 2-0 in favor of Kohlloeffel and the
rout was on.
“When I have a chance, I always want to try to win as fast
as possible,” Kohlloeffel said. “It’s a long year
and you should save energy. That’s a good thing to do in the
tournament as well.
“It’s always better for me to get it done and then
sit outside and cheer for the other guys,” he said.
Out of the 43 matches he has played this season, only five have
needed a third set. Teammate Chris Surapol said Kohlloeffel has
been so reliable that if the team wins the doubles point, the
Bruins already feel like they are ahead 2-0 in the match.
“He’s the quickest one,” Surapol said.
“He doesn’t give people a chance. He fights for every
single game.”
“In practice, he’s throwing rackets if it’s
3-2,” Surapol said.
In matches, Kohlloeffel’s demeanor is a strange
combination of polite gentleman and ruthless assassin. He will
frequently apologize if he wins a point because his shot hits the
net and trickles over for a winner, but then he’ll beat
people 6-0, 6-0, rendering them absolutely helpless.
“His strength is that he doesn’t let up,” said
his doubles teammate, Philipp Gruendler. “Once he’s on
the court, he doesn’t care about the score. It’s like
every single point, and if he wins every single point then the
score is 6-0, 6-0.”
According to his teammates, that’s how Kohlloeffel is in
practice too.
Gruendler readily admitted he might lose to just about anybody
on any given day. For Kohlloeffel, that’s not the case.
“If I’m on a good day, I think that it’s
really challenging to play him,” Gruendler said. “But
if I’m on a practice day and someone tells me to play a set
against him and you lose 6-1 and you have no chance, then
it’s really frustrating. It’s like, “˜Come on,
just give me some points. Make it close, maybe I can come
back.'”
Kohlloeffel and Gruendler have been nearly unbeatable in
doubles. The duo has won 25 consecutive matches and is on its way
to a No. 2 national ranking.
But rankings and winning streaks will mean little on Saturday
when UCLA faces Illinois in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of
16. The Fighting Illini appear to be just as tough at the top of
the lineup as the Bruins are.
Illinois senior Ryler DeHeart, who will play Kohlloeffel, is
ranked No. 11 in the country. In doubles, Kevin Anderson and Ryan
Rowe are the nation’s No. 4 team. In short, Kohlloeffel and
the rest of the Bruins will be tested.
“DeHeart is a heck of competitor, and Ben’s got a
little bit of a bull’s-eye on his back with everybody,”
Martin said. “I know Ben will be fired up and ready to play
the match. I don’t think he’s worried about
anybody.”
If this season has been any indication of things to come,
there’s no reason why he should be.