After easing into the season with two matches in each of the previous two weeks, the UCLA men’s tennis team is going to be a busy group in the weeks ahead.
Starting today when they host UC Santa Barbara, the No. 2 Bruins (4-0) could potentially play as many as nine matches in the next 20 days. While the breakneck schedule will leave little rest for the weary, the Bruins have a distinct advantage on their side.
“We have a lot of depth,” sophomore Benjamin Kohlloeffel said. “We’ll always be able to play with a really good lineup. Last year, substituting two or three players would have been a big problem.
“This year it’s not.”
UCLA coach Billy Martin will trot something of a new-look lineup out to the courts today, the fifth different lineup Martin will have employed in his team’s five matches. But with a team that has eight or nine players for six positions, it shouldn’t be a big deal.
Even without Luben Pampoulov, the Bruins’ No. 1 player who will sit out today’s match with a slight neck injury, and Alberto Francis, who will likely sit so he can play in a doubles tournament later in the year, Martin isn’t too worried about the challenge presented by the Gauchos.
“I don’t know if we need to push it,” Martin said. “We’re pretty deep.”
Freshman Jeremy Drean will return to the singles lineup for the first time since the season opener against Azusa Pacific, playing at the No. 5 spot, while Jason Nguyen will play at No. 6.
After today’s match, two more challenges await the Bruins this week. They will face UC Irvine on Wednesday in a match that was postponed due to rain last Friday, then battle San Diego State on Friday in a match that Martin expects to be the team’s toughest challenge of the young season.
Though the Bruins are likely much more talented than their three opponents this week, playing consecutive matches is always something of a concern.
“Matches are more intense than just practice, definitely more intense mentally,” Kohlloeffel said. “We’ll see how it works out.”
Martin said that if his team cannot handle these three matches in four days, there’s no way they’ll be up to the challenge of the National Team Indoors, held Feb. 17-20 in Chicago. The Indoors could see UCLA play four matches in four days. But with this week and next week to prepare, Martin feels like his team will be ready.
“I’m trying to do it to get us ready for Chicago,” he said. “I think we’ll be physically and mentally prepared to play matches in consecutive days.”
And with so much depth, it shouldn’t really matter who takes the court.
“All the guys that are going to play can win,” Francis said. “They’ve been doing well in practice, so they’ll be fine. They’ll do their job.”