The nets at the Los Angeles Tennis Center may feature “B1G,” but the Bruins’ memories – and nightmares – of their previous conference remain.
The Ducks knocked the Bruins out of last season’s Pac-12 championships, defeating them in what coach Billy Martin called the team’s worst performance of 2024.
And while spring break may have dampened the stadium atmosphere, Martin, the Bruin bench and a singular incessant Oregon spectator filled the void with their own fanfare, cheers and cries.
In the longtime conference foes’ 35th duel, and first as Big Ten rivals, UCLA men’s tennis (7-6, 5-0 Big Ten) seemed to suggest revenge is a dish best served on a bagel, sweeping Oregon (9-9, 1-5) by a score of 4-0 on Saturday.
“We had quite a few returning guys from that team, so that was something I absolutely wanted to have the guys have fresh in their mind,” Martin said. “They did a good job, and that hopefully motivated them. We’ve got some confidence now.”
UCLA won its fifth consecutive dual match – fourth in sweeping fashion – and is above .500 for the first time since Jan. 17, when it defeated UC Irvine in its season opener.
Senior Giacomo Revelli said part of the Bruins’ turnaround was thanks to newfound consistency in doubles. UCLA has won the doubles point in every match during its win streak and ran the same lineup for the third consecutive contest Saturday.
While Revelli and fellow senior Alexander Hoogmartens left their match unfinished 6-6, the tandem of junior Aadarsh Tripathi and freshman Rudy Quan and the duo of junior Gianluca Ballotta and redshirt sophomore Emon van Loben Sels each won their bouts 6-4 to give the Bruins the 1-0 advantage.
“Sometimes, you just don’t know why, but they (the current doubles teams) complement each other, and they seem to enjoy playing with each other,” Martin said. “There’s got to be a little, not just tennis chemistry, but camaraderie and friendship chemistry.”
Revelli seemed to agree with Martin’s assessment, saying improved team chemistry has flipped the season of a team that was once 2-6.
“We’re just growing closer as a team, getting to know each other better,” Revelli said. “We had two or three guys come in in January, and we’re just connecting better every week. I think it’s showing in the results.”
One of those new players is Kaylan Bigun, who joined the team ahead of winter quarter. The freshman was the No. 1-ranked junior in the world before his Westwood arrival but said there were some adjustments in his transition to the collegiate game.
“The scoring system is a little different, and the energy – there’s so much energy and stuff going,” Bigun said. “Just focusing on your court and then getting used to deuce points was the main thing, but I feel like I’m getting the hang of it now.”
Bigun, who was previously homeschooled, also had to adapt to UCLA’s academics and said his academic advisor was key to helping make the transition seamless, adding that he got a 98% on a recent final paper.
Back in April, Revelli’s singles loss in the Pac-12 championships clinched the match for the Ducks, and the senior said revenge was on his mind Saturday.
And he delivered, defeating Oregon’s Lachlan Robertson 6-0, 6-2 before Bigun followed suit, taking down Paris Pouatcha 6-3, 6-3 to give UCLA a 3-0 lead. Neither ever trailed a game.
And No. 75 van Loben Sels sealed the UCLA victory with a 6-2, 6-4 win over No. 88 Vlad Breazu on court two.
Bigun returned to the lineup after sitting last Sunday against Northwestern while Hoogmartens was absent from singles action Saturday.
Martin said his lineup decisions are just a matter of rotating players, adding that injuries are unpredictable and he wants to avoid rushing someone back into action from the bench.
At the beginning of the season, Martin said he’d seen seniors struggle to produce consistent results, but Saturday, Martin added that Hoogmartens and Revelli have bucked that trend.
“These are two exceptional young men, academically, that no matter whether they play tennis or not, they’re going to be incredibly successful,” Martin said. “In the past, sometimes, when you have someone who maybe isn’t excelling that much academically, … and yet their college career hasn’t been going quite as well, … they’re a little panicked. Neither of these two guys are panicked about their future.”
UCLA will face Washington on Sunday in Westwood, with first serve at 1 p.m.
Martin said playing on back-to-back days, with a makeup match against USC looming Tuesday, bodes a good test of the team’s stamina. He added that championship-caliber teams are expected to perform three to four days in a row come the conference or NCAA tournaments.
“We got all the bad luck and losing out in the beginning of the season. Now it’s just time to win and time to work,” Bigun said. “Recovery, get some food, give GL (Ballotta) a hug and then just get back tomorrow with good intensity. We don’t take any team lightly.”
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