Postseason play is fast approaching.
And for the Bruins – who have the chance to retrace their path to a Big Ten championship and NCAA regionals berth – that means closing out the season strong.
No. 24 UCLA men’s tennis (13-5, 7-2 Big Ten) will host No. 14 Illinois (19-5, 8-2) Saturday and Northwestern (15-10, 3-7) Sunday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center in the final homestead of the regular season. The stretch marks the penultimate weekend before the Big Ten tournament.
“We have to be a little bit more ready,” said coach Billy Martin. “They (The Fighting Illini) are good. There’s no doubt about it. … We’re going to have a little bit more of the fire I’ve seen the guys have.”
The Bruins went on a midseason hot streak, winning seven straight matches, including victories over then-No. 9 San Diego and then-No. 25 USC in tightly contested battles. But the streak came to an end with back-to-back losses against No. 20 Michigan State and then-No. 1 Ohio State – the top two Big Ten squads.
And Illinois sits just one match ahead of UCLA in the ranks, entering the weekend on a four-match win streak with the chance to solidify its position near the top of the conference. With the Big Ten tournament set to begin April 22, the Fighting Illini will have the chance to gain ground – and potentially separate themselves from the Bruins.
UCLA, meanwhile, is coming off a bounce-back win over Penn State.
“I’ve always kind of had that mentality where on any given day, you can win some, you lose some,” said redshirt freshman Cassius Chinlund. “Just having that confidence going in, knowing that I have the level, knowing that I have the wins under my belt, I’m able to carry that forward into the next matches.”
Chinlund defeated Nittany Lion David Lindsay in straight sets, improving to 12-3 in dual match play and 7-1 across his last eight completed matches.
Although Saturday’s ranked matchup looms on the foreground, the Bruins are not discounting the Wildcats.
“That’s probably our biggest challenge,” said redshirt junior Emon van Loben Sels. “Prioritizing Sunday matches as much as the Saturday match.”
Northwestern, which sits near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, presents a different kind of test. While the Wildcats have struggled in conference play, Sunday carries just as much weight as Saturday’s contest.
Van Loben Sels – who is ranked No. 24 nationally in singles – has anchored the Bruins at the top of the lineup while also playing a key role in doubles. Van Loben Sels and junior Spencer Johnson form the nation’s No. 29-ranked pair and helped set the tone in UCLA’s last match with a 6-3 opening win over Penn State’s David Lindsay and Michael Wright.
With the regular season nearing its close, UCLA will have the opportunity to build momentum heading into postseason play – and prove it can compete with the conference’s top teams.
“I think a lot of the guys can compete better, and we haven’t brought out our potential yet,” van Loben Sels said. “I think that can make a difference next week.”
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