UCLA, minus Rojer, hopes to batter Georgia Tech

  PATIL ARMENIAN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Freshman
Tobias Clemens competes in a singles match last
month against BYU. The Bruins face Georgia Tech Friday.

By Greg Schain
Daily Bruin Contributor

The No. 3 UCLA men’s tennis team will face No. 73 Georgia
Tech at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on Friday.

Georgia Tech, going into today’s match against USC, is
undefeated in dual match play this season. Their 2-0 record
includes a tight 4-3 victory over Charlotte earlier this week.
Coach Kenny Thorne is impressed with the way his squad has started
the year.

“Winning a close match like that to start the season shows
we’re ready to play,” Thorne said in a recent
interview.

The Bruins will be without sophomore Jean-Julien Rojer, their
No. 1 singles player, because he is currently in Costa Rica playing
in the Davis Cup for the Netherlands-Antilles.

UCLA head coach Billy Martin does not think Rojer’s
absence will be a problem.

“I’m not overly concerned that we will lose matches
because he is not there,” Martin said. “In some ways,
it will give other players a chance to get some good experience
playing.”

Senior Jean-Noel Grinda will take over at the top spot for the
Bruins. Grinda was 13-2 in dual match play last season and has
started 2001 with a 3-0 record. He is excited to be playing No. 1
singles, the same spot he played during his first two years at
UCLA.

“I’m happy to get back to the No. 1 spot. It is a
good feeling,” Grinda said.

Grinda was 36-13 during his reign at first singles. He hopes
that by playing well, he will be able to retain the spot even after
Rojer returns.

“I’m going to do the best to hold my
position,” Grinda said.

Grinda will face sophomore Roger Anderson of Georgia Tech.
Anderson is a former junior champion in his home country of South
Africa, and was last season’s ACC Rookie of the Year.

Despite Anderson’s talent, Martin likes his team’s
chances to win.

“I think we should probably win handily against this
team,” Martin said. “But they have good coaches and
they have had good teams in the past.”

Martin knows that just because Georgia Tech has a low ranking,
it doesn’t mean that his team should take a victory for
granted.

“I never take anyone lightly,” he said.

Freshman Tobias Clemens will be playing at No. 2 singles for the
Bruins. At press time, Martin still had not decided the rest of his
lineup for the match.