Tuesday, February 25, 1997
M.TENNIS:
Recently struggling UCLA proves tough in Rolex NationalBy Mark
Shapiro
Daily Bruin Staff
For a team that was struggling to find some consistency and
maintain its position as part of the national hierarchy, the UCLA
men’s tennis team sure found the solution in a hurry.
The second-seeded Bruins (10-1) re-affirmed themselves as the
top team in the country when they captured the USTA/ITA Rolex
National Team Indoors in Louisville, with a gut-wrenching 4-3
victory over fourth-seeded Georgia in the finals.
"It was so exciting," UCLA head coach Billy Martin said. "The
guys just hung tough, didn’t hang their heads, and pulled it out.
This gives us a lot of confidence in knowing that we can play
against the best teams."
Although they had just battled to a semifinal victory over
Mississippi that wasn’t decided until Jason Cook’s three-set
victory at No. 5 singles the day before, the Bruins came out
quickly against the Bulldogs, capturing the doubles point.
The singles was a topsy-turvy ride that left the Bruins drained,
even though they emerged victorious.
The top two singles positions were split, as Eric Taino won and
Alex Decret lost at one and two, respectively. When Jason Cook and
Matt Breen both lost in straight sets to put the Bulldogs up 3-2,
the situation looked grim.
Momentum shifted, however, when sophomore Brandon Kramer closed
out a three-set victory at No. 6, leaving the team’s fate on the
shoulders of a freshman.
Rookie Kevin Kim, playing at No. 3 singles, came up in a big way
in his deciding match, staving off a match point and capturing a
third-set tiebreaker to clinch the title.
Amidst all of the tension and jangled nerves, the story of the
tournament was the play of Kramer, who was inserted into the lineup
in place of Vincent Allegre, and took advantage of the fast indoor
courts.
Kramer, who had competed in only one dual match this season,
went undefeated over the weekend, joining No. 1 Eric Taino as the
lone Bruins to do so.
When all seemed lost, his four victories, three of which went to
three sets, helped to right the UCLA ship. Also, by defying the
coaches expectations with his performance, Kramer staked a
legitimate claim to a spot in the lineup.
"The guy that we really have to give a lot of credit to is
Brando," head coach Billy Martin said. "It’s going to be tough (to
keep him in the lineup) because, who do I take out? It’s a really
tough, tough situation because no one deserves to be out."
AMY PENG
Rookie Kevin Kim looked impressive capturing a third-set
tiebreaker in his deciding match in the USTA/ITA Rolex National
Team Indoors.