Finally.
After months of inconsistencies, struggles and a few very
difficult losses, the UCLA men’s tennis team is at full
strength for the first time all season.
And by the looks of it, the new Bruins are a force to be
reckoned with.
Junior Luben Pampoulov played his first matches of his UCLA
career last weekend, as the No. 5 Bruins dispatched California,
7-0, Friday, and followed that up with an impressive 5-2 victory
over No. 9 Stanford on Saturday. Neither match counts in the Pac-10
standings.
Playing at the No. 2 position, Pampoulov registered straight set
victories both days. His victory over K.C. Corkery clinched the win
against the Cardinal (12-5, 2-0 Pac-10).
“It’s a nice feeling, not watching the team anymore
and finally playing,” Pampoulov said. “I didn’t
play for a long time.”
That’s quite an understatement. Pampoulov came to Westwood
last April and had to sit out a full year before gaining his
eligibility.
The fact that Pampoulov is now a player rather than a spectator
has visions of an NCAA Championship dancing in the minds of the
Bruins (14-5, 2-1), a thought that might not be so far-fetched. By
playing Pampoulov at the No. 2 position, coach Billy Martin has
been able to drop everyone else one spot in the lineup. In theory,
everyone except the team’s No. 1 player, Tobias Clemens, will
face weaker competition than they have been up to this point.
“We’re just starting to come together,” Martin
said. “It’s just a matter of being focused on winning
the NCAA Championship as much as anything.”
Saturday’s victory was certainly a good place to
start.
And Saturday’s beginning couldn’t have been much
better.
UCLA swept the doubles matches on all three courts, quite a feat
considering the two new-look doubles pairings.
As usual, Alberto Francis and Kris Kwinta played together at No.
1, but Pampoulov’s presence shuffled the teams on Courts 2
and 3. Pampoulov joined Philipp Gruender at No. 2, while Clemens
teamed with Chris Surapol at No. 3.
Gruendler and Pampoulov dominated their match, defeating James
Pade and James Wan, 8-3. The easy victory had Gruendler singing the
praises of his new partner.
“We understand each other really well,” Gruendler
said. “It’s just a pleasure to play with
him.”
Gruendler certainly took some momentum from the doubles victory
into singles, as he cruised against Chris Rasmussen, 6-2, 6-2.
Even with how quickly he finished his match, Gruendler was not
the first Bruin done. That honor belonged to fifth-ranked Clemens,
who found himself on the wrong end of a blowout Saturday.
Stanford junior Sam Warburg played nearly flawless tennis to
register a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Clemens, who struggled all day
with his first serve and appeared slightly off with his ground
strokes.
But the Bruin senior was much more concerned with his
team’s victory. It was the first time Clemens’ team had
defeated Stanford in Westwood during his UCLA career.
“I’m so happy that we can beat a great team like
that,” Clemens said. “We practiced really hard over
Spring Break, and we played well.
“If the team wins, I’m happy.”
Junior captain Chris Lam posted a 1-6, 6-2, 6-1 win over Phil
Sheng on Court 3 to set up Pampoulov’s match-clinching
performance in a second set tiebreaker.
After a crisp and clinical display of tennis prowess in the
first set from Pampoulov, Corkery hung in the second set, fighting
off a number of break points to force the tiebreaker. But in the
end, the Austrian junior was simply too strong, and Pampoulov
emerged with a 6-1, 7-6 (5) win.
Rounding out the scoring, Kwinta lost to Wan at No. 4, while
Francis finished with a three-set victory over Carter Morris at No.
5.
The Bruins’ performance Saturday had Martin almost giddy
with excitement.
“Anytime we beat these guys, it’s such a fun time
and a great win,” he said. “They’re always a
great team and they fight so hard and are coached so
well.”
UCLA, currently riding a five-match winning streak, has four
regular season matches remaining, and Martin feels the team will
only improve.
If Pampoulov, who admitted to being very nervous about his first
matches, has anything to say about it, the Bruins could very well
be hoisting the trophy in Tulsa come May.
“I’d like to think I’m a benefit to
them,” Pampoulov said. “We have some great players. I
just hope everyone keeps winning.”
And finally, for the first time in a year,
“everyone” includes Pampoulov.