Men’s tennis players in hunt for bids to National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships

With November drawing closer and the end of individual tournament play in sight, the UCLA men’s tennis team has shifted its attention from shaking off the summer rust to the main goal of the fall: sending players to the upcoming national indoor championships in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

The player who wins the USTA/ITA Southwest Regional Championship, which begins today and will run until Tuesday, will be guaranteed a spot in November’s USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships. The winner will join senior Clay Thompson in New York, who already earned a spot by winning the back draw of a previous tournament.

One of the players looking to secure a spot is junior Dennis Mkrtchian, who made it to the finals of the Southwest Regional last year and ultimately earned a bid to play in New York as well.

“I did really well last year, so I’m expecting to go out and do well again this year. I like to give myself good goals,” Mkrtchian said. “I think it’s realistic to see myself possibly winning it or going far.”

Mkrtchian is joined in his optimism by sophomore Seth Stolar, who also sees himself as a contender to compete in New York. Stolar has not competed yet this fall because of a hamstring injury, but doesn’t feel that it will affect him.

“I’m confident, excited to play and ready to compete. I’ll be ready,” he said. “I’m a pretty confident player so I’m expecting to do really well.”

For coach Billy Martin, however, the tournament has a second purpose: It’s another chance to observe his players before team competition begins in the spring.

“It’s a good test for the guys, see where they’re at,” he said. “It allows me as a coach to see who’s playing well and it kind of helps me with my decision-making process for the pecking order and lineups that I have to make come January.”

And despite hoping to play well for his coach and ultimately come out with a win, Mkrtchian also plans to get a feel for the competition he’ll face in the spring.

“If you win this tournament, you get to go to New York, which is pretty prestigious, but other than that it’s a tournament where all the top schools in Southern California play,” Mkrtchian said. “It’s a good experience, especially for the freshmen.”