UCLA
Arizona
UCLA Blanks Arizona, Secures Spot in Semis
April 26, 2018 | Men's Tennis
OJAI, Calif. – The top-seeded UCLA men's tennis team posted a strong quarterfinal-round performance Thursday, blanking ninth-seeded Arizona on Day 1 of the Pac-12 Championships at Libbey Park. The top courts were key to the victory, with Logan Staggs clinching the overall decision on court 3.
Keegan Smith dropped just one game in his straight-set romp on court 2, while Martin Redlicki dispatched his top-court counterpart with ease to inch the Bruins closer to victory.
"Both Marty and Keegan were playing very, very good," said UCLA head coach Billy Martin. "It just really set the tone for all the singles out there.
Doubles play got the No. 2 Bruins off on the right foot, with 73rd-ranked Redlicki-Evan Zhu taking six of seven games from Igor Karpovets-Aaro Pollanen to notch the day's first win. The duo of Maxime Cressy-Bryce Pereira would follow suit for the Bruins, picking up a 6-1 win of its own to clinch the day's first point. The clinching win over Carlos Hassey and Filip Malbasic marked the seventh of the season for the Bruin pair and improved its overall record to a team-best 17-6. The tandem's won six in a row.
No. 52 Smith got off the singles courts in a hurry, doubling the Bruin lead with a 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Pollanen in a rare court 2 appearance by the freshman. The win marked the San Diego native's 20th of the dual-match season and his 35th overall. Next door on court 1, Redlicki was close behind. The nation's top-ranked player delivered mirror-image sets, conquering Karpovets, 6-2, 6-2, to make it 3-0.
It came down to the player dubbed "The Clincher" by his teammates, as Logan Staggs controlled his match versus Alejandro Reguant of the Wildcats. The Tracy, Calif. native would complete his fifth deciding win of the year with a 6-3, 6-2 victory on court 3.
Staggs' 6-3, 6-2 victory sends the Bruins to the #Pac12Tennis semifinals pic.twitter.com/ctGTj4VwtV
— UCLA Men's Tennis (@uclatennis) April 26, 2018
Next up for the Bruins is a semifinal date with fourth-seeded Oregon, which defeated No. 5 California in a thriller Thursday. The Friday match is set for a 1 p.m. start, with Pac-12 Networks providing live television coverage.
"It's going to be a tough match," said Martin. "We had a really tough match with them up there at their place. They're a good team. They beat a very good Cal team and we've had tough matches with them throughout the last two, three years."
"I know they're anxious to want to beat us, but I'm positive that if we play well, we can win. Hoping that we can come out and give our best stuff tomorrow."
Tennis Match Results
Arizona vs UCLA
April 26, 2018 at Ojai, Calif.
(Libbey Park)
#1 UCLA 4, #9 Arizona 0
Singles competition
1. #1 Martin Redlicki (UCLA) def. Igor Karpovets (ARIZ) 6-2, 6-2
2. #52 Keegan Smith (UCLA) def. Aaro Pollanen (ARIZ) 6-0, 6-1
3. #86 Logan Staggs (UCLA) def. Alejandro Reguant (ARIZ) 6-3, 6-2
4. Maxime Cressy (UCLA) vs. Filip Malbasic (ARIZ) 6-3, 3-3, unfinished
5. Connor Hance (UCLA) vs. Trent Botha (ARIZ) 6-2, 2-4, unfinished
6. Austin Rapp (UCLA) vs. Carlos Hassey (ARIZ) 6-3, 3-2, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #73 Redlicki/Zhu (UCLA) def. Karpovets/Pollanen (ARIZ) 6-1
2. #14 A. Rapp/Smith (UCLA) vs. Maier/Reguant (ARIZ) 4-3, unfinished
3. Pereira/Cressy (UCLA) def. Hassey/Malbasic (ARIZ) 6-1
Match Notes:
UCLA 24-2; National ranking #2
Arizona 16-15
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (2,1,3)
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:
2,1,3
Players Mentioned
