Men’s tennis aims to merit No. 7 rank in upcoming match against Saint Mary’s

The Bruins are ranked No. 7 in the nation, but coach Billy Martin said he’s not sold the ranking is justified.

“We have a lot to prove,” Martin said. “(Our ranking) is just a bunch of coaches sitting down in preseason and ranking teams. We have to be ready to play each and every one of these matches in the early season.”

No. 7 UCLA (2-0) will face Saint Mary’s (0-1) on Saturday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. The match time remains unspecified due to rain in the forecast for most of the day.

The Gaels will be unfamiliar faces for the Bruins, as no UCLA player encountered a Saint Mary’s opponent in preseason play. The Gaels fell to No. 10 Stanford, 7-0, in their only match played this season. Last year, the Gaels finished their campaign 1-8 in their conference with a 4-17 record overall.

Martin said that preparing for these matches is not difficult, despite the unfamiliarity.

“I think we have to figure that each team that comes here is really excited to play us,” Martin said. “They have a big chance to win, and we’re not here to just look good. We’re looking for a win.”

Sophomore Keegan Smith said that teams who are not ranked as highly as UCLA tend to come to Los Angeles and play with no reservations.

“If we’re supposed to beat that team, (their players) play loose and go for their shots. For me, sometimes, it feels like I must win this match. But I try not to focus on that,” Smith said.

Over the weekend, Smith found himself down 0-3 in the opening set to San Diego’s August Holmgren. Smith said that beginning matches unfocused can cause unnecessary stress and create difficult situations.

“I went on a nine-game winning streak to come back and win,” Smith said. But, I should try not to put myself in that situation again and then I think there will be less stress on the mental side.”

Freshman Matthew Tsolakyan, who played No. 5 and No. 6 for the Bruins last weekend, said that remaining focused on the match keeps him from thinking about the expectations that come from playing in the starting lineup.

“You just have to work everyday and prepare, and when the match comes, focus on that and nothing else,” Tsolakyan said.

Martin said the doubles lineup could also change as he said winning the doubles point is crucial for setting the tone of the match, especially for a young team. The Bruins lost two of their three matches against the University of San Diego last weekend.

“We are absolutely looking at new (doubles) teams. Nothing is solidified and these are great matches for us to prepare a lineup for big matches in the future like Cal and Stanford,” Martin said.

Martin said that matches early in the season will also allow for more players to be rotated into the lineup. With that opportunity, though, he said he expects results.

“It’s a special moment for any young athlete, but I’m looking for a win,” Martin said. That’s the most important thing. When they step out on the court, first and utmost is to get a win for the team. This is match time and we need results.”