UCLA men’s tennis fall season recap

The purpose of the men’s tennis team’s fall season is to prepare for the more important spring season. After seven months and numerous tournaments, that spring season starts next week and so does the Bruins’ pursuit of a national championship.

Here is a quick recap of the important moments since the end of the 2015 NCAA season.

September
The fall kicked off with junior Mackie McDonald winning the American Collegiate Invitational at the U.S. Open, an event that featured some of top college singles players in the country. The title earned McDonald a wild card into the main draw of the U.S. Open, provided he ends up ranked No. 120 or higher in the ATP. If he does not, he will receive a wild card spot in the qualifying draw.

The Bruins’ No. 1 doubles duo, McDonald and sophomore Martin Redlicki, did it better this time at the Costa Mesa Pro Classic. After being finalists in 2014, they took the crown this year in a dramatic three-set match that ended in a tiebreaker. McDonald and Redlicki were ranked No. 6 in the nation to start the fall, but, because McDonald has not played in any Intercollegiate Tennis Association events since the end of the 2015 regular season, they are no longer ranked as of the spring preseason rankings

October

For the second straight year, a Bruin won the USTA/ITA Southwest Regional Championship title. Redlicki, the No. 4-seed, downed unseeded Logan Smith of USC 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the championship round. Smith was not the only Trojan Redlicki had to face in the tourney, as he took on No. 2-seed Nick Crystal in a three-set match in the semifinals. With a win, Redlicki earned a bid to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship – one of the more prestigious and tougher tournaments of the year.

At the Southern California Intercollegiate Championships, several Bruins performed well, but the real standout was senior Karue Sell. He fought to reach the finals, but couldn’t pull off the upset against No. 1 seed Max de Vroome 6-7 (2), 6-4, 3-6.

“It was important I got five matches in a row – good matches. I played pretty good tennis this week, so I’m not sad about the result,” Sell said after his loss to de Vroome.

The SCIC is an annual barometer for coach Billy Martin to get a feel for how his players are matching up against some of the top schools in Southern California, including USC. Sell’s performance against de Vroome bodes well for the Bruins since Sell will likely be No. 3 in the lineup and de Vroome is expected to be the top singles player for the Trojans.

November

Redlicki had a short run during the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship in New York, losing in the first round to No. 17 Austin Smith of Georgia 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-2, and then losing in the opening round of the consolation draw to No. 23 Dovydas Sakinis of Dartmouth 6-1, 6-4.

In the Jack Kramer Classic, junior Gage Brymer returned from a wrist injury to make his first tournament appearance of the fall, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Thibault Forget of USC 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

December

Brymer cruised through the Costa Mesa Open Classic at the tail end of the winter break. He went through six rounds – including the final – winning each match in straight sets. The tournament was a return to form from Brymer’s freshman year. However, it will be the final tournaments in January that will ultimately decide where he falls in the lineup.

McDonald continues to stand out
The junior has been competing nonstop since June, having a very impressive fall season and outperforming some of the former Bruins on the ATP Tour. He played in a total of 10 ATP tournaments since the end of last season in May. McDonald also reached two semifinals and one quarterfinal in a few ATP Challenger events, and jumped to No. 371 in the world, almost earning a U.S. wild-card entry into the Australian Open.

Compiled by Korbin Placet, Bruin Sports senior staff.