UCLA
Michigan
Bruins Fight Off Wolverines to Advance
May 18, 2018 | Men's Tennis
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. โ For the 23rd time in 25 seasons under head coach Billy Martin, UCLA men's tennis is bound for the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championships. The second-seeded Bruins defeated No. 15 Michigan Friday, 4-2, at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina. The match was delayed and relocated from the Wake Forest Tennis Complex due to rain.
UCLA will next face a familiar foe in crosstown rival USC Sunday (9 a.m., PT). The 10th-seeded Trojans defeated No. 7 North Carolina, 4-2, in Friday's Round-of-16 opener in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Bruin freshman Keegan Smith provided the clinching win Friday, bringing Michigan's two-point rally to a screeching halt. UCLA registered the first three points of the day before receiving a counterpunch from the Wolverines.
"I was quite apprehensive about this match," said head coach Billy Martin. "We haven't played much indoor tennis since February. I know this is a good team and a very good indoor court-playing team so I knew we had our work cut out for us and sure enough it was a dog fight."
Courts one and three each took two of the first three games for the Bruins in doubles play. Trailing 2-1, their court 2 duo of Austin Rapp-Keegan Smith fought back with four of the next five games to give UCLA a decisive advantage coming down the stretch.
Martin Redlicki-Evan Zhu struck first for UCLA on court one. The No. 29 pair, which was knotted at four games apiece with the Wolverine tandem of Myles Schalet-Connor Johnston, secured the next two and the win. With court two still undecided, UCLA's doubles wins leader Maxime Cressy-Bryce Pereira took matters into its own hands. A big serve by Cressy was returned long by the team of Alex Knight-Harrison Brown, giving the Bruins an important first point and the pair its 20th win of the campaign.
"The last game, we played a really good game and got the break for the first win," said Redlicki. "Both other teams were right there to win it for us. Coach had us ready to come out firing, because of how good of a doubles team Michigan is."
It appeared the doubles point was all the momentum UCLA needed heading into singles play, as Bruins notched four first-set wins. Michigan fought back, however, forcing third sets on two of those courts. With the Wolverines amidst their comeback attempt, No. 1 Redlicki ensured his match would not be one of them. The senior improved to 19-4 versus fellow nationally-ranked players, dealing No. 17 Knight a 6-4, 6-2 decision on the top court. Cressy soon placed the Bruins a point from victory, knocking off Carter Lin, 6-3, 6-4, on court five.
The Wolverines would not go away, though, with Mattias Siimar collecting their first win of the day on court four. His 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Logan Staggs proved a jumping-off point for Michigan, which soon found itself down just 3-2 following a three-set victory by No. 47 Runhao Hua over No. 81 Zhu, 6-1, 2-6, 6-1, on court two.
That left it up to UCLA freshmen Smith and Connor Hance, each playing in the first Round of 16 of his career. With Hance in a tight one versus Michigan's Davis Crocker on court six, Smith took charge on court 3. After dropping the first game of the set, the San Diego native ran off six of the next seven to send the Bruins into the round of eight.
UCLA has already faced USC in three different settings this year. The Bruins doubled up the Trojans, 4-2, in a nonconference match at Los Angeles Tennis Center (Feb. 27). Then, in regular-season Pac-12 action, Cressy posted a winner-take-all decision to will UCLA to victory at Marks Stadium (April 6). Finally, the teams met again at the Pac-12 Championships in Ojai, Calif., where the Bruins secured the conference's tournament title with a 4-1 victory.
Tennis Match Results
Michigan vs UCLA
5/18/2018 at Chapel Hill, N.C.
(Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center)
#2 UCLA 4, #15 Michigan 2
Singles competition
1. #1 Martin Redlicki (UCLA) def. #17 Alex Knight (MICH) 6-4, 6-2
2. #47 Runhao Hua (MICH) def. #81 Evan Zhu (UCLA) 6-1, 2-6, 6-1
3. #56 Keegan Smith (UCLA) def. Myles Schalet (MICH) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
4. Mattias Siimar (MICH) def. #103 Logan Staggs (UCLA) 6-2, 6-4
5. Maxime Cressy (UCLA) def. Carter Lin (MICH) 6-3, 6-4
6. Connor Hance (UCLA) vs. Davis Crocker (MICH) 6-1, 4-6, 2-3 unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #29 Martin Redlicki/Evan Zhu (UCLA) def. Myles Schalet/Connor Johnston (MICH) 6-4
2. #16 Austin Rapp/Keegan Smith (UCLA) vs. #73 Runhao Hua/Mattias Siimar (MICH) 5-5, unfinished
3. Maxime Cressy/Bryce Pereira (UCLA) def. Alex Knight/Harrison Brown (MICH) 6-4
Match Notes:
Michigan 22-6; National ranking #15
UCLA 29-2; National ranking #2
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (1,5,4,2,3)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
1,5,4,2,3
Players Mentioned
