Men’s tennis opens conference play against Utah away from home

UCLA will start Pac-12 play on the road.

No. 20 UCLA men’s tennis (5-4) will travel to Salt Lake City to face off against Utah (12-3) on Friday in its Pac-12 season opener. Coach Billy Martin said he wants his team to begin conference play on a high note and is looking for his team to peak as the NCAA tournament draws nearer.

Play will be held indoors at Utah’s George S. Eccles Tennis Center which sits at an elevation of over 4,000 feet – something Martin said the team will need to adjust to.

“The match (at Utah) is always very difficult for us because of the altitude,” Martin said. “To be at 4,000 feet all of a sudden, that little tennis ball flies. We’re playing indoors which will make it a little slower, but it’s a big home-court advantage for them.”

The Utes have not been beaten at home this season, and they are riding a streak of six seasons with a winning record on their home courts. The Bruins, meanwhile, are 5-4 on the year, with each of their four losses coming either on an opponent’s home court or in neutral territory.

Sophomore Bryce Pereira said while the altitude difference will play a factor in doubles play, he has adapted to those conditions before.

“We’re getting there a day or two early, so we’ll get used to it,” Pereira said. “I’ve played in the (high) altitude a bit in the juniors. I’ve played in Utah and Colorado before, so altitude isn’t a foreign thing for me.”

The Bruins have never lost to the Utes in all 14 of their previous matches. Last year, the Bruins bested Utah with a 4-0 win on Senior Day to clinch the Pac-12 title.

UCLA’s last dual match was a home victory against Grand Canyon. After dropping the doubles point to start the match, multiple Bruins rallied to clinch the match for the team.

Freshman Mathew Tsolakyan – who made his ITA singles ranking debut this week at No. 106 – said he will need to start his match more aggressively if he is to avoid another slow start against Utah.

“If you’re aggressive off the bat, that will help you a lot,” Tsolakyan said. “You can’t start the match in a passive way. You have to try and push your opponent back and use (the open court). We’ll have to practice (to adjust to the altitude), but when the match starts, you can’t worry about those things.”

Martin said sophomore Keegan Smith, who has missed the previous four matches due to injury, will likely be in the lineup.

Senior Maxime Cressy will likely return to the lineup at the No. 1 singles spot. Cressy was unavailable for the match against Grand Canyon due to his participation in the Oracle Challenger Series in Indian Wells, California. Cressy will likely face Utah’s Dan Little, who is ranked No. 64 in singles.

“We know a lot about (Little),” Martin said. “He beat Martin Redlicki two years ago (at UCLA). He has a huge serve which is even bigger in the high altitude. Though, he’ll be going against Cressy who has a huge serve and who likes to be aggressive, so it will be an interesting match between those two.”

Play is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. on Friday.