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UCLA men’s tennis prepares for takeoff against Portland Pilots

Aadarsh Tripathi eyes the incoming ball as he prepares to hit a forehand. The freshman for UCLA men’s tennis has spent the majority of the young season at No. 4 in singles and No. 3 in doubles, respectively. (Bryan Palmero/Daily Bruin senior staff)

Men's Tennis


Portland
Saturday, 1 p.m.

Los Angeles Tennis Center
UCLA Live Stream

By Jeremy Chen

Feb. 3, 2023 3:53 p.m.

Recently swept out of rival territory, the Bruins will be tasked with fending off the Pilots soon soaring into Westwood.

UCLA men’s tennis (3-1) is set to commence a multi-month homestand with a game against Portland (2-1) on Saturday. The Pilots will be the first of a trio of unranked, nonconference foes that await the Bruins in the coming weeks.

“That was really the first road trip for so many of those young freshmen,” said coach Billy Martin. “I think it was a different aura that they were not used to.”

Exposure to such an aura will be short-lived, as the blue and gold will play eight of its next nine matches at the Los Angeles Tennis Center before embarking on conference play in late March.

Martin said maintaining a competitive edge will be of paramount importance for the upcoming stretch.

“We can’t be tentative – we can’t fall behind,” Martin said. “We discussed it, and I think our younger players will be better prepared next time we are on the road.”

After their next three games, the Bruins will face three top-25 teams in five matches, including a rematch with USC and a tussle with No. 3 TCU – the highest-ranked opponent currently on the blue and gold’s schedule.

For now though, UCLA’s focus is on Portland and the opportunity to contribute to its undefeated home record after wins against Hawai’i and Pepperdine to start the season.

Junior Timothy Li got his first taste of dual-match singles action against Pepperdine and USC and said he wants to build off his strengths.

“I’m just trying to get ready and be confident in myself,” Li said.

Li added that bringing excitement and enthusiasm is key and that the USC match revealed the consequences of slow starts.

Freshman Aadarsh Tripathi said he felt the lack of energy in doubles play at USC but is prepared to change that come Saturday.

“We’re going to come in, come fired up, and I’m really excited for this weekend,” Tripathi said.

Tripathi’s excitement is not something he tends to keep quiet, as his cheers during matches resonate across all six courts.

The rookie said he’s always been vocal on the court and that he wants to fuel his teammates.

“I hope my other teammates can build off of it,” Tripathi said. “I’m fighting, and they should fight too – for every ball, every point – knowing that I’m always there supporting them.”

UCLA will look to channel its energy into the win column to move to 3-0 all-time against Portland, with first serve set for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.

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Jeremy Chen
Chen is a Photo editor and a sports contributor on the men's tennis beat. He is a fourth-year cognitive science student pursuing a minor in film, television, and digital media, and he is from Alameda, California. He was previously an assistant Photo editor on the Sports beat.
Chen is a Photo editor and a sports contributor on the men's tennis beat. He is a fourth-year cognitive science student pursuing a minor in film, television, and digital media, and he is from Alameda, California. He was previously an assistant Photo editor on the Sports beat.
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