Men’s tennis to compete in last match before conference play
Junior Maxime Cressy will partner with freshman Bryce Pereira as the ninth-seeded pair in this weekend’s 129th Annual Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship. The duo won its most recent doubles match against USC on Tuesday and posts a 10-5 overall record for the season. (Alice Naland/Daily Bruin)
By Justin Auh
March 1, 2018 11:50 p.m.
After an intensive nonconference schedule, the Bruins finally have an opportunity to relax.
Five doubles pairs will represent No. 4 UCLA (13-2) at the 129th Annual Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship at La Jolla, California, this weekend. Coach Billy Martin said that he has no expectations for the low-stakes tournament.
“I’ve always told my players that they can be as serious as they want,” Martin said. “If they just want to not take it too seriously, that’s fine. … (But) if the teams want to work hard and try to win, they are certainly capable.”
The Bruins have noticeably improved in doubles play this season, turning a weakness into a major strength.
“We’ve been winning a lot of doubles points, which has helped us win big matches,” said junior Maxime Cressy.
The team has won seven straight doubles points heading into the tournament, whose winners cup includes tennis professionals such as Jack Kramer and Pancho Gonzales.
Despite its prestige, the tournament will not count towards dual match records, taking pressure off the Bruins while still allowing them to develop their doubles game.
“It’s sort of the halfway point to the season,” Martin said. “I don’t want to put extra pressure on them. I just don’t want them to get too sloppy when they’re down there.”
Unlike other tournaments, top junior players and coaches will also participate in the matches, including UCLA associate head coach Grant Chen.
UCLA’s top doubles team, senior Martin Redlicki and sophomore Evan Zhu, will not compete together at the tournament, giving Redlicki time to heal from minor injuries, according to Martin. The duo, undefeated in doubles play this season, advanced to the semifinals of the 2017 tournament.
Zhu will instead pair with sophomore Ben Goldberg as a fifth seed.
Other teams include fifth-seeded senior Austin Rapp and freshman Keegan Smith, ninth-seeded Cressy and freshman Bryce Pereira, freshman Connor Hance and redshirt freshman Connor Rapp, and senior Logan Staggs and freshman Lucas Bellamy.
Cressy, who advanced to the semifinals in the 2017 tournament and the quarterfinals the year before, anticipates another successful showing this weekend.
“I have high expectations for the tournament,” Cressy said. “I’ll (give) it my 100 percent.”
Following the tournament, UCLA will begin conference play with road matches against Oregon and Washington.
“It will be good to have a little break (at the tournament),” Smith said. “After that, it’s back to work.”
