UCLA
USC
UCLA Edges USC for Semis Spot
May 20, 2018 | Men's Tennis
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. โ The second-seeded UCLA men's tennis team secured a spot in the NCAA Championships semifinal round Sunday, defeating No. 10 USC in a 4-3 nail biter at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex. The final-four trip marks a first for the Bruins since 2014.
UCLA will face third-seeded Ohio State Monday at 11 a.m. (PT).
National No. 1 player Martin Redlicki clinched the win on the top court Sunday for UCLA (30-2), which defeated its crosstown rival for the fourth time on the season. The Trojans (20-9) earned three consecutive points in singles play to briefly take the lead, but Maxime Cressy and Redlicki answered keep the Bruins dancing.
"It always is [a close match] against our crosstown rival," said UCLA head coach Billy Martin. "We know each other's game so well. There is no hiding each other's weaknesses.
"I'm just proud of my guys to come out for the fourth time and win. It isn't easy. You feel like you've proved that you are better than them, but you have to do it one more time. We were fortunate enough to do it one more time."
The 29th-ranked pair of Redlicki and Evan Zhu stormed out to a big lead in doubles play, taking the first three games from the No. 10 Trojan tandem of Brandon Holt and Riley Smith. With Maxime Cressy-Bryce Pereira dropping three of the first four on court 3, UCLA's Austin Rapp-Keegan Smith knew it needed to make a move. The nation's No. 16 pair did just that, winning three games out of four from No. 9 Jack Jaede-Laurens Verboven after being knotted at 2-2.
Cressy-Pereira would rebound to pull even at 4-4, but each of the top two courts was already well on its way to an upset win. A Redlicki serve was too hot to handle on the top court, giving the reigning Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year a 6-4 win--its 17th victory of the season and second of the postseason versus Holt-R. Smith. Moments later, a Smith serve stopped his Trojan counterparts in their tracks, locking up another 6-4 win and the Bruins' ninth-straight doubles point.
Smith's ace clinches the doubles point for the Bruins!#GoBruins | #BeatSC | #NCAATennis pic.twitter.com/q46pZKTCsI
โ UCLA Men's Tennis (@uclatennis) May 20, 2018
UCLA got off on the right foot in singles play, winning four of six first sets. USC would answer, though, pushing back with sights on sweeping the second stanzas. Smith ultimately proved a steadying influence for the Bruins, though, locking up a 7-5, 6-3 win over Jaede on court three. The win marked the freshman's 40th of his debut campaign and 17th in a row.
The tide would quickly turn, though, with Cukierman giving the Trojans life courtesy a 6-3, 6-4 answer against No. 81 Zhu on court two. Next up was No. 123 Riley Smith, who pulled USC even with a straight-set decision of his own, 6-3, 7-5, over Connor Hance on court six. Completing the trifecta was Verboven, who dropped his first set versus No. 103 Logan Staggs of the Bruins before responding, 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.
With courts one and five still in jeopardy, USC clinged to a 3-2 lead. Trailing for an extended portion of his second set versus the Trojans' Thibault Forget, Cressy seemed to get a second wind with his back against the wall. The junior would eventually force a tiebreaker, which proved his time to shine. Cressy, who clinched both regular-season victories versus USC, dominated the extra action to the tune of a 7-2 score.
That left it up to Redlicki, who despite a lost second set to No. 11 Holt, appeared unfazed in the third when the lights were brightest.
"My thoughts were today what they have been like all season," said Redlicki. "As hard as it is to do at that stage in the match, I was really just trying to take it one point at a time, talking to my coaches in between points and stay loose, not thinking about the moment."
The senior's strategy paid off, executing big shot after big shot down the stretch. Teammates rushed Redlicki, who broke Holt to seal the deal. His 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win marked his 25th of the season and 20th versus ranked opponents.
FINAL FOUR BOUND!!!
โ UCLA Men's Tennis (@uclatennis) May 20, 2018
Redlicki breaks Holt as UCLA defeats USC, 4-3, advancing to the #NCAATennis semifinals!! #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/uSFw6Ex3CC
In the semifinal match between No. 3 Ohio State and No. 6 Mississippi State, which ran concurrently with the UCLA-USC showdown, the Buckeyes prevailed in yet another 4-3 thriller.
The Buckeyes have dropped just two matches on the year, including a 4-1 decision to the Bruins at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship tournament in Seattle (Feb. 17).
"This is what you train and think about all year," said Martin. "We will certainly be ready and come out and play well tomorrow."
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2,6,4,5,1
Players Mentioned
