UCLA
Azusa Pacific
No. 2 Bruins Defeat Azusa Pacific, 7-0
January 20, 2005 | Men's Tennis
Jan. 20, 2005
LOS ANGELES - The second-ranked UCLA men's tennis team squeaked out the doubles point and then cruised in singles play, defeating NAIA power Azusa Pacific, 7-0 in the season opener for both teams Thursday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.
Azusa Pacific proved why it has been such a dominant force on the NAIA scene, pushing the Bruins to the limit in doubles play. Following an 8-6 UCLA win at the No. 3 spot, the Cougars answered back at the No. 1 position, where Adam Davidson and Sam Fletcher upset sixth-ranked Alberto Francis and Kris Kwinta, 8-5. The Bruins clinched the doubles point at court No. 2, where Benjamin Kohlloeffel and Luben Pampoulov needed a tiebreaker to overcome Boris Bakalov/Tom Jelsma, 9-8(2).
UCLA took control of the match in singles play, quickly coming out and registering four straight-set wins to take an insurmountable 5-0 lead in the match. First to finish was court No. 3, where 62nd-ranked Chris Lam defeated David Goodman, 6-2, 6-2. That victory was followed by court No. 4, where freshman Mathieu Dehaine, playing in his first-ever dual match for UCLA, posted a 6-1, 6-2 win over Davidson.
The Bruins clinched the match when Kohlloeffel, ranked eighth nationally, defeated Fletcher, 6-3, 6-0 at the No. 1 position. UCLA's only other straight-set victory of the day came at court No. 5, where Kwinta, ranked No. 99 in the country, knocked off Gordon Hong, 6-3, 6-4.
Although UCLA posted victories on the remaining two courts, Azusa Pacific made the Bruins work for each of them. Francis battled back from a set down to knock off Bakalov, 3-6, 6-3, (10-6) at court No. 3. Bakalov is the top-ranked player in NAIA. The shutout was completed at court No. 6, where freshman Jeremy Drean overcame a tough first set to defeat Jelsma, 3-6, 6-1, (12-10).
UCLA returns to action tomorrow, hosting Pacific at the LATC beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Doubles
| Pos. | Opponents | Score |
| 1. | Davidson/Fletcher (APU) def. (6) Francis/Kwinta (UCLA) | 8-5 |
| 2. | Kohlloeffel/ Luben Pampoulov (UCLA) def. Bakalov/Jelsma (APU) | 9-8(2) |
| 3. | Dehaine/Lam (UCLA) def. Goodman/Hong (APU) | 8-6 |
| UCLA Wins Doubles Point | ||
Singles
| Pos. | Opponents | Score |
| 1. | (8) Benjamin Kohlloeffel (UCLA) def. Sam Fletcher (APU) | 6-3, 6-0 |
| 2. | (39) Alberto Francis (UCLA) def. Boris Bakalov (APU) | 3-6, 6-3, (10-6) |
| 3. | (62) Chris Lam (UCLA) def. David Goodman (APU) | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 4. | Mathieu Dehaine (UCLA) def. Adam Davidson (APU) | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 5. | (99) Kris Kwinta (UCLA) def. Gordon Hong (APU) | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 6. | Jeremy Drean (UCLA) def. Tom Jelsma (APU) | 3-6, 6-1, (12-10) |
