Team knocks down ‘SC in first Pac-10 game

UCLA 4 USC 3

By Regina Yeh
Daily Bruin Contributor

Hardly believing the game’s results, the UCLA men’s
tennis team gathered together, cheering wildly in a celebration of
camaraderie and victory against longtime rival team USC.

“You have that on tape? That’s big, coming up from
behind, that’s big!” Bruin sophomore Tobias Clemens
said at the end of the match.

The final moments of the match between the Bruins and the
Trojans, which took place Thursday at the Marks Tennis Stadium at
USC, determined victory or defeat. In the last singles game, junior
Lassi Ketola served tough in the final set against USC’s
Daniel Langre, giving UCLA the 4-3 victory.

The closely matched competition had uncertain results from the
beginning. In doubles play, the skill of the UCLA players did not
keep the Bruins from struggling for control over the courts. USC
won the doubles point, adding to the pressure on the following
singles games.

At such a precarious point, the Bruins had to concentrate
despite hostile crowds in the stands, the harsh wind throughout the
afternoon, surrounding televising cameras and above all, the
pressure of crosstown rivalry.

“It was very difficult in front of the cameras,
representing the school. The wind also ruined my game plan because
I had wanted to put a lot of pressure on USC’s Andrew Park,
and it just became a lot of running,” Clemens said.
“Overall, our win was on the line and if we didn’t win,
it would be just screwed up, as we’re more than a good enough
school to beat them.”

With a vengeance, UCLA then began to overwhelm USC in singles to
make up for the earlier loss. Clemens defeated Park 6-3, 6-1 while
junior Jean-Julien Rojer and junior Erfan Djahangiri also
individually defeated their USC opponents.

The intensity heightened when junior Rodrigo Grilli and
sophomore Marcin Matkowski did not win their matches, leaving
Ketola, who had split in the first two sets, the pivotal point for
UCLA.

And, in the midst of both teams giving encouragement to the last
two players battling on the court, Ketola captured victory in the
final set 5-7, 7-6, 6-3. The Bruins leapt up in support, screaming
and laughing.

“I’m extremely happy for the team to have won,
looking at how they played and how everybody did ““ especially
because it was at USC. It was a great match,” Matkowski
said.

UCLA avenged its prior loss to USC ““ the Bruins’
only loss of the season. The win marked the UCLA’s first
Pac-10 match.

The results left the Bruins in anticipation of next
Wednesday’s match against Duke, and also an incredible
feeling of achievement.

“After this game, we’re looking forward to playing
Duke. But right now, all that matters is that we’ve won. And
what we’re going to do now is celebrate,” Rojer
said.