Men’s, women’s tennis share goal of national title for upcoming year

Venture out to the Los Angeles Tennis Center and you’ll find one team that has solved the championship formula and one that is still trying to find the correct equation.

Last year, UCLA women’s tennis went 27-2 on its way to winning its second national title in the last seven years, defeating North Carolina 4-3 in a back-and-forth match.

Just one day before the women claimed the championship, the men’s team finished 26-4, having been routed in the NCAA semifinals for the second time in three years. Two seasons ago, the Bruin men were one point away from clinching the national championship before faltering and losing 4-3 to Virginia.

Despite the different paths that they will require to get to the ultimate destination, both teams have their sights set on the same goal: winning a national championship.

The quest to repeat

If there’s one advantage that the Bruin women have on their quest to repeat, it’s that they are bringing back almost their entire championship core, losing only Courtney Dolehide, who graduated, from last year’s team.

“We basically have our (entire) lineup coming back, and we also got some really good freshmen, so we’re really deep,” said senior Robin Anderson. “I’d say we have a really good shot (at the championship).”

However, there will now be heightened expectations heading into the season as the defending champions.

“Bring it on,” said junior Kyle McPhillips. “We’re ready for it. We like it. We want people to come after us and give us good competition.”

The team begins the fall season touting several highly ranked players in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s preseason rankings, with Anderson checking in at No. 2 and senior Chanelle Van Nguyen at No. 7. The Bruins are not shorthanded in their doubles game either, with McPhillips and fellow junior Catherine Harrison as the No. 4 doubles team in the country.

Sophomore Jennifer Brady would likely have been ranked in the top 10 in both singles and doubles, but she is taking the fall quarter off to play tournaments on the International Tennis Federation Women’s Circuit, and is expected to rejoin the team in January.

The fall season officially got underway on Saturday, with the players in Pacific Palisades competing in the Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships. It is the first of five individual-style tournaments that the players will compete in during fall.

Although these tournaments are several months away from the NCAA championships in May, they will help the players build their fitness levels and set a foundation for the rest of the season.

“This is a time where we can work with a lot of girls individually on their games,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster. “It’s definitely a time of a lot of hard work.”

Turning over a new leaf

For the men’s squad, there will be a changing of the guard as it tries to win its first national championship since 2005.

Upon its 4-2 defeat to Oklahoma in the NCAA semifinals last season, the team lost its two leaders in Adrien Puget and last year’s No. 1-ranked player Clay Thompson, as the two seniors graduated. Later in the summer, the team would also unexpectedly lose its best remaining player, 2014 NCAA men’s singles champion Marcos Giron, as he decided to forego his senior year and join the professional tour.

“I thought we’d be having the top player in the country come back and playing No. 1 for us, but that’s not going to be the case,” said coach Billy Martin. “Unfortunately, it’s going to be much more of a challenge for us, no doubt about it. We have a very young team.”

Now, the Bruins will have to rely on sophomores Mackenzie McDonald and Gage Brymer, who are ranked No. 13 and No. 45, respectively, in the ITA preseason rankings.

“This year with our team, everyone really needs to do their part,” McDonald said. “I think it’s an honor (to be the team’s top-ranked player) and I’m going to do my best there and hopefully lead this team.”

Now, there are only four upperclassmen on the roster, two of whom are expected to contribute on the courts.

Senior Dennis Mkrtchian, who missed most of last season due to a right elbow injury, is expected to be healthy enough to play for the regular season. Mkrtchian will provide leadership for the younger players, having experienced three deep runs into the NCAA tournament.

Junior Karue Sell is the other regular on whom this team will rely to help mentor the younger teammates. A combination of sophomore Joseph Di Giulio and freshmen Martin Redlicki and Austin Rapp will likely fill the rest of the holes in the lineup.

The Bruins will have seven tournaments in the fall to help the veterans get back into shape and help the freshmen get acclimated with college tennis before the regular season starts. The first one is the Saint Francis Health System ITA Men’s All-American Championships, which started on Saturday in Tulsa, Okla.

“This (fall season) will really help me get back into form,” Mkrtchain said. “You can practice all you want, but you really find your game in these tournaments.”