Bruins ace Regional, return to Championship
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 17, 1998 9:00 p.m.
Monday, May 18
Bruins ace Regional, return to Championship
UCLA adroitly defeats Arizona State, Washington, qualifying them
for tourney
By Evan LovettDaily Bruin ContributorThe UCLA men’s tennis team
kept tradition alive last weekend as the Bruins battled through
Region VIII at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. However, the
invitation to the NCAA Team Championships almost never materialized
for UCLA.After missing an automatic birth, where the top eight
ranked teams qualified, the Bruins had to take the long road.
Luckily, the NCAA chose the LATC to be the starting path.There are
a total of eight regionals, where the winners of each qualifies for
the NCAA tournament. Which means that UCLA had to win every game in
a single-elimination tournament.UCLA needed to win not only to make
the tournament but to keep tradition alive, as UCLA has made it to
the NCAA Championships since the introduction of team championships
in 1977.With Sunday’s 4-2 victory over the University of
Washington, the No. 10-ranked Bruins became one of 16 teams set to
square off for the national title at the University of Georgia from
May 23 to May 30.UCLA, favored from the outset, backed up the hype
with a dominating victory over Arizona State on Saturday. Arizona
State had edged Arizona on Friday to advance to the regional
semifinals.The Bruins destroyed the overwhelmed Sun Devils 4-0,
behind straight set victories from Jason Cook, Brandon Kramer and
Alex Decret, as well as doubles victories by the duos of Jean-Noel
Grinda and Matt Breen, and Jason Cook and Noah Newman.The win over
Arizona State advanced the Bruins to the championship match against
the Huskies, who defeated UC Santa Barbara 4-2 on Saturday. UCLA
sought sweet revenge against the Huskies, who dealt the Bruins a
tough loss earlier in the season.The championship match promised to
be competitive, and it did not disappoint. The Huskies took the
crucial doubles point with a nail-biting 9-8 (5) victory by
Nicholas Quatrochi and Mark Woolley over Decret and Kramer.
Washington’s team of Eric Drew and Robert Kendrick also defeated
Breen and Grinda 8-6. The Bruins did win one of the three doubles
matches as Cook and Newman beat Andy Posavac and Sasha Rampazzo
8-2. Though the momentum seemed to be with the Huskies, the singles
matches proved to be all UCLA. No. 11-ranked Vincent Allegre
handled Washington’s No. 39 Kendrick in two straight sets, 7-5,
7-6(2).Brandon Kramer powered through the overmatched Jeremy
Berman, 6-0, 6-1. Alex Decret also took his match in straight sets
over Marius Lunde, 6-3, 7-6(5). Sasha Rampazzo provided
Washington’s only singles victory with a 7-6, 6-1 upset over the
No. 92-ranked Jason Cook. Victory was sealed as No. 34 Matt Breen
survived a scare from Andy Posavac, needing three sets to dispose
of his Pac-10 rival, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.As the storied UCLA men’s tennis
team attempts to win their unprecedented 16 National Championship,
a tough road lies ahead at Georgia. However, the Bruins proved this
weekend that their talent and ability is definitely championship
caliber.
DERRICK KUDO/Daily Bruin
Jean Noel-Grinda shows off his one-handed backhand in the match
against Arizona State on Saturday.
DERRICK KUDO/Daily Bruin
Alex Decret and the Bruins charged past ASU
on Saturday, defeating them 4-0.
