UCLA men’s tennis readies for first serve against Hawai’i, Pepperdine at home

Injected with youth, the Bruins are set to kick off dual-match play against a pair of familiar opponents.

UCLA men’s tennis will compete in back-to-back matchups at home this weekend, facing Hawai’i on Friday and No. 19 Pepperdine on Saturday. While the blue and gold upended the former multiple times last season, it was unable to secure a victory when traveling to face the latter.

Coach Billy Martin said last season’s defeat at the hands of the Waves has given the team motivation for the upcoming match.

“We know they are a good team. They did beat us last year, so I’m hoping that might be a little motivation for us,” Martin said. “It really comes down to execution and who is really ready to play that day.”

Martin said although both opponents will bring tough competition, his squad is looking to finish the weekend unblemished.

“We certainly want to try to win both home matches. We don’t like losing here at UCLA, and we’ve had a pretty good track record through the years,” Martin said. “It’s not going to be easy by any means, but we know these teams pretty well.”

The Bruins enter the season with seven of their 11 roster spots currently held by underclassmen.

But while UCLA may boast a young squad this season, it will also be returning experience in the form of redshirt senior Patrick Zahraj and senior Drew Baird. Zahraj secured an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention last season while Baird earned the same honor a year prior.

Zahraj said the key to success for the Bruins this weekend will be preparing to compete at a high level.

“We have to be there right away from the first moment. Bring the energy, and enjoy the competition,” Zahraj said. “Not needing a warmup to get going.”

And with all the fresh faces coming into the program, Zahraj said he has been happy with the overall progression of his successors.

“We have a lot of young guys here. I think the sophomore class has gained a lot of experience from last year,” Zahraj said. “The freshmen are looking up to them, and it will be a journey.”

Zahraj said despite last season’s loss at Pepperdine, both the home venue and the team’s preparation will work in UCLA’s favor.

“We are playing at home, so we don’t want to go the wrong way. We had a streak going for five or six years in the last decade where we didn’t lose a match at home,” Zahraj said. “I think that will be a big advantage, and we are looking to compete.”

First serve between UCLA and Hawai’i is set for 1 p.m. on Friday followed by a bout with Pepperdine on Saturday at the same time. The Los Angeles Tennis Center will serve as the host site for both.