Undefeated men’s tennis team faces tough opponents in National Indoor Championships

After holding its own during the beginning of the season, the UCLA men’s tennis team will carry its momentum in to a showdown with the country’s best teams at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships.

The tournament, which begins Friday and runs through Monday, is held at the University of Washington. No. 6 UCLA (7-0) brings with them the confidence of a team which has yet to suffer a defeat this season.

UCLA will need every bit of that swagger in order to compete with a stacked field which consists of 15 highly ranked teams, including No. 1 Virginia, which won the tournament last year.

UCLA begins tournament play Friday by taking on No. 11 Louisville (8-1). The Cardinals are on a run of their own and enter the tournament with seven wins in their past eight matches.

Louisville senior Austen Childs poses the biggest threat to UCLA.

Childs, a New Zealand native, is ranked No. 11 in singles and was runner up in the NCAA singles championship last year.

A win against Louisville would advance UCLA to the quarterfinals, where the Bruins will face off against either No. 3 Tennessee or No. 14 Georgia on Saturday. Either way, the Bruins will have their work cut out for them. The Vols boast five ranked players in singles, including sophomore Rhyne Williams, the top-ranked player in the nation. The Bulldogs have three players ranked each in singles and doubles.

The Bruins have won in both dominating and exciting fashion this year. UCLA began the season with blowout wins, without dropping any points in its first three matches, but won two close 4-3 matches against UC Irvine and No. 8 Baylor. The team enters the tournament coming off of another easy win, however, in the form of a 7-0 victory over Boise State on Sunday.

UCLA qualified for the tournament with wins over Minnesota and Florida State on Jan. 28 and 29.

Compiled by Lila Abramson, Bruin Sports contributor.