Tuesday, 5/6/97 Loss to Waves doesn’t dampen Bruin spirit Coach
views match vs. Pepperdine as preparation for NCAAs
By Mark Shapiro Daily Bruin Staff Rare is the opportunity that a
team can go into a match without the slightest regard for the
result. Rarer still are the times in which a team can come away
from a loss feeling good. For the UCLA men’s tennis team, lightning
struck twice Monday night as they not only engaged in a match of
little significance but came away smiling after a 4-3 loss to
Pepperdine University. The No. 1 ranked Bruins (23-3) knew going
into the match that they were assured of the No. 1 seed in the NCAA
men’s tennis championships, starting May 17 at the Los Angeles
Tennis Center. Thus, the result of their final regular season match
really had no meaning. When the Waves came away victorious, the
Bruin brain trust came away smiling, for not only did a patchwork
lineup fare quite well but the Bruins got a much-needed tuneup for
the NCAA championships. "I was really happy with the results, we
knew we were in trouble," UCLA head coach Billy Martin said. "This
is a good warmup, which is what I wanted for the guys. It was a
really good dress rehearsal." The loss was the second in three
matches for the Bruins, and it marked the end of the regular
season. As part of the team’s conditioning for the NCAAs, the match
was played at night, the first home night match of the year for
UCLA. The match also fell in the middle of the team’s longest
layoff of the season, spanning more than two weeks. With 11 days to
go until the tournament kicks off, Monday’s contest came at a vital
point in the season. Right from the start, the Bruins were up
against it as they dropped the doubles point, losing two of three
matches. With top singles player Eric Taino resting a tender
stomach muscle and Jason Cook not quite 100 percent with a sore
wrist, UCLA sent a patchwork singles roster into the fray against
Pepperdine. "In the major scope of things, this (match) didn’t mean
enough to take a risk playing them," Martin said. The makeshift
singles lineup fared a bit better than the doubles teams, splitting
the six matches, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Waves. At No.
1, freshman Kevin Kim upset Simon Aspelin in three sets, rallying
from a 0-6 first set to win 0-6, 7-5, 7-6. Alex Decret fell to
Michael Jessup in three sets at the second spot, while at No. 3,
sophomore Vincent Allegre bested Troy Budgen, 6-4, 6-2. At No. 4,
junior Matt Breen topped Brad Sceney in two sets, while at fifth
singles, Brandon Kramer fell ,6-0, 6-4, and Eric Lin lost in
straight sets at No. 6 singles. Pepperdine 4, UCLA 3