UCLA men’s tennis reaches for redemption at Pac-12 tournament

On the road against rival USC last Friday, the UCLA men’s tennis team was in position to take the Pac-12 regular-season title.

After winning the doubles point, the Bruins took an early lead over the Trojans. Unfortunately for the Bruins, the Trojans responded with strong singles play and took a 3-2 lead. After three sets of play, the Trojans won the match at court 3, clinching the Pac-12 regular-season title for USC.

Now, with the Pac-12 tournament around the corner, the Bruins are eager to redeem themselves in a potential rematch.

“After losing against USC I think we all want to win the tournament and show that we should be taken seriously,” said senior Adrien Puget.

On Friday, No. 5 UCLA will compete in the semifinal round of the Pac-12, where it will face Oregon.

The Bruins have already defeated the Ducks in the regular season by a score of 4-0. If UCLA wins on Friday, it will advance to the final round of the tournament.

Last season, UCLA won the Pac-12 championship over USC by a score of 4-2. This year, the Bruins are seeded second in the tournament behind the top-seeded Trojans. It is possible that the two teams will meet again in the finals.

On April 18, senior Adrien Puget played his first match of the season for the Bruins after recovering from knee surgery. As a member of last year’s tournament-winning team, Puget brings leadership and veteran experience to UCLA as they head into this weekend’s competition.

“It’s a big confidence boost having Adrien back,” said senior Clay Thompson. “Especially since he’s our captain.”

For the past seven seasons, either UCLA or USC has won the regular-season Pac-12 title. Despite the Bruins’ recent success in the tournament against the Trojans, UCLA is staying focused on the match at hand.

“Yes, we’ve made it to the final the last two years and beat USC last year,” said coach Billy Martin. “But every year is different but I’m curious to see how the guys react after losing to USC last Friday.”