UCLA
North Carolina State
Men's Tennis Sweeps NC State for Martin's 600th Win
February 16, 2020 | Men's Tennis
MADISON, Wis. โ The No. 16 UCLA men's tennis team shut out No. 10 NC State in a consolation match at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships Sunday morning, earning head coach Billy Martin the 600th win of his career.
Martin, in his 27th year at the helm of the Bruins, has a career record of 600-128 (.824). On April 25, 2019, he secured victory No. 593 to pass friend and mentor Glenn Bassett as the program's all-time leader in head-coaching wins.
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โ UCLA Men's Tennis (@uclatennis) February 16, 2020
Congratulations, Coach!#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/ycG5B9iUuy
Senior Ben Goldberg clinched the milestone victory. Sophomores Govind Nanda and Mathew Tsolakyan also logged singles wins for UCLA (5-4). Its top two doubles tandems triumphed against nationally-ranked opponents from the Wolfpack (8-3) to earn the openingย point.
The duo of freshman Drew Baird and redshirt junior Connor Rapp prevailed for the second time without a loss at Indoors, defeating 44th-ranked Alexis Galarneau and Robert Turzak by a 6-3 score on Court 2. The win marked the pair's first against a nationally-ranked opponent. A break of serve for the Bruins at 3-2 proved to be the difference.
With junior Bryce Pereira and sophomore Patrick Zahraj one point away from victory themselves, the top-court match concluded to get UCLA on the board. Nanda and junior Keegan Smith took down their second top-12 counterpart of the tournament in No. 12 Tadas Babelis and Yannai Barkai, 6-4. The Bruins earned a pivotal break at 4-4. Nanda/Smith previously beat No. 11 Christian Sigsgaard and Siem Woldeab of Texas Friday.
Tsolakyan, who did not compete during the 2020 dual-match season before Saturday, turned in his second straight-set singles win in a row to give UCLA a 2-0 lead. The Glendale, Calif. native defeated Collin Shick, 6-1, 6-2, on Court 6.
No. 10 Nanda got back in the win column on Court 2, where he knocked off Babelis by a 6-4, 6-2 score. Nanda, who held a 6-1 record versus nationally-ranked opponents going into Indoors play, dropped decisions against top-34 foes on the first two days of the tournament. He has a team-high seven victories on the dual-match campaign, against just the two losses.
For the team-high third time this season, Goldberg sealed the overall decision in favor of the Bruins. He doubled up Rafa Izquierdo Luque in the first set before taking six of seven games in the second to ensure UCLA went home with a win. The top-10 victory marked the program's first since April 5, 2019, when the Bruins edged No. 9 USC at Los Angeles Tennis Center.
Goldberg! The senior sends the Bruins home with the win!! pic.twitter.com/qcPMkaATtn
โ UCLA Men's Tennis (@uclatennis) February 16, 2020
UCLA returns to action Sunday, Feb. 23, when it welcomes UC Irvineย to LATC. First serve is set for 11 a.m., PT.
Tennis Match Results
UCLA vs NC State
2/16/2020 at Madison, Wis.
(Nielsen Tennis Stadium)
#16 UCLA 4, #10 NC State 0
Singles competition
1. #77 Alexis Galarneau (NCST) vs. #6 Keegan Smith (UCLA) 6-2, 6-6 (1-2), unfinished
2. #10 Govind Nanda (UCLA) def. Tadas Babelis (NCST) 6-4, 6-2
3. Yannai Barkai (NCST) vs. Drew Baird (UCLA) 4-6, 5-4, unfinished
4. Ben Goldberg (UCLA) def. Rafa Izquierdo Luque (NCST) 6-3, 6-1
5. Robin Catry (NCST) vs. Patrick Zahraj (UCLA) 3-6, 1-5, unfinished
6. Mathew Tsolakyan (UCLA) def. Collin Shick (NCST) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Govind Nanda/Keegan Smith (UCLA) def. #12 Tadas Babelis/Yannai Barkai (NCST) 6-4
2. Drew Baird/Connor Rapp (UCLA) def. #44 Alexis Galarneau/Robert Turzak (NCST) 6-3
3. Rafa Izquierdo Luque/Collin Shick (NCST) vs. Bryce Pereira/Patrick Zahraj (UCLA) 4-5, unfinished
Match Notes:
UCLA 5-4; National ranking #16
NC State 8-3; National ranking #10
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (6,2,4)
ITA National Team Indoor Championships - Consolation
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
6,2,4
Players Mentioned
