M. tennis prepares to defeat Runnin’ Rebels, once again
By Mark Singerton
Practice was intense Wednesday afternoon as the UCLA men’s
tennis team struggled to dry the soaked courts of the Los Angeles
Tennis Center in preparation for Saturday’s match against
Nevada-Las Vegas. With the help of a few squeegees, the Bruins were
able to get over an hour of work in before the rains came again. It
was the first day the Bruins had stepped on the court since last
Sunday, and the team took advantage of the dry spell.
"It was a little damp out there, but we needed it," sophomore
Eric Lin said. "It was good to get back out there again."
How rusty the Bruins are after last week’s downpour is still
uncertain. UCLA has not played a match since hosting Pacific last
Saturday. The Runnin’ Rebels invade LATC ranked 32nd in the
country. Saturday’s match will be the first of a series of tests
for the No. 4 Bruins.
"This match means a lot to us," UCLA head coach Billy Martin
said. "They’re a great team, and I know they’ll come in ready to
beat us."
The Runnin’ Rebels have plenty of weapons heading into the
contest. Roger Petterson, who ranks 41st in the nation in singles,
leads their squad.
"He’s an excellent player," Martin said of Petterson. "He’s very
good from the backcourt. He’s no slouch. I’d say he is one of the
top-20 players in country."
But the Bruins have plenty of talent themselves, including
22nd-ranked Robert Janecek, who looks to improve his winning streak
to 12 dual matches at the No. 1 singles position. Janecek has not
lost in dual match play since March 1994.
The Bruins have plenty of history on their side. UCLA has never
lost to UNLV. Head-to-head, they lead 5-0, including a 7-0 dicing
of the Rebels in their last meeting.
With Pepperdine on deck, the Bruins will need to establish
themselves with a solid performance against a ranked opponent.
Martin is confident about his team’s chances in spite of the recent
weather.
"We might not be our sharpest out there but we’ll certainly be
ready for them come Saturday," Martin said. "The guys have been
working really hard for this. I think we’ll be fine."