Tuesday rang in the Year of the Horse.

The first few days of the Lunar New Year bustle with traditional Chinese festivities. Wrapped in classic red outfits symbolizing good fortune and vitality, children stretch out their eager hands to collect long-awaited red packets from loved ones.

For the Bruins, horses and red symbolize something slightly different: a similarly sacred tradition, but one driven by rivalry.

No. 22 UCLA men’s tennis (5-2) will travel to David X. Marks Stadium to face crosstown rival No. 14 USC (7-3) on Saturday afternoon in its first Big Ten match of the season. The Bruins head into the matchup riding a three-game winning streak.

Faced with what will likely be a sea of cardinal from the home crowd, UCLA will compete amid a color that reflects good fortune.

Coach Billy Martin said passion remains an essential part of the historic rivalry.

“I’ve always said, ‘If I have to get myself or any of my team members up for an ‘SC match, then leave the teams, quit coaching,’” Martin said.

The athletic rivalry between the two schools dates back nearly 100 years. The Bruins have boasted a 38-29 record against the Trojans since 1999.

And redshirt freshman Cassius Chinlund has anticipated contributing to the storied Los Angeles rivalry for years.

“That’s something that most guys look forward to their entire life, something that I’ve looked forward to my entire life,” Chinlund said. “That rivalry is a story.”

Recent clashes between UCLA and USC have been back-and-forth affairs. The Bruins hold a 3-2 record against the Trojans in their last five affairs, most recently capturing a 4-2 victory against the Trojans on May 9.

Traditional rivalries often elicit heightened emotions, and junior Andy Nguyen said the squad will need to manage expectations, stay grounded and regulate its emotional state heading into Saturday.

“I’m going to try to stay in the present,” Nguyen said. “It’s easy to get carried away, especially with such a big rivalry and how much history that we have against USC, but I’m just going to try to stay in the moment.”

Despite the intensity between the programs, the UCLA-USC bout represents how the sport can connect communities.

Underneath all the hype, Bruins and Trojans alike have managed to cultivate a healthy, competitive culture between their athletes and fanbases.

“My next door neighbor is a big ‘SC fan, and I know he’s going to give me guff if we lose, but he’ll tell me ‘Well done,’ if we win,” Martin said. “Our guys (UCLA and USC) throughout the years have always been pretty good friends off the court. But when it comes down to match day, we’re both gonna be at each other to get that victory, and I don’t expect to be any different on Saturday.”