_ctofeatured.jpg "Pictured: Karue Sell")
Pictured: Karue Sell
UCLA Team Page
LOS ANGELES - The fourth-ranked UCLA men's tennis team will be one of 16 teams competing in next month's USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Chicago, as the Bruins earned their spot by downing Texas Tech, 4-1 on Saturday afternoon during ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. UCLA (3-0) also posted a 4-0 victory over Pepperdine on Friday during the qualifying event.
Texas Tech (6-2) did not play anywhere near its ranking of No. 48, making UCLA work for nearly all of its points on the day. After both teams split matches to begin doubles, the point came down to court No. 3, where UCLA's Dennis Mkrtchian and Austin Rapp were in a tight set against Connor Curry and Francisco Zambon. Fortunately for the Bruins, Mkrtchian and Rapp were able to prevail, winning 6-4 to lock up the one point awarded for doubles play.
In singles, pretty much every match was close with the exception of court No. 1, where UCLA's seventh-ranked Mackenzie McDonald registered an impressive 6-0, 6-3 win over 28th-ranked Felipe Soares.
With UCLA up 2-0, the next point actually went to the Red Raiders at court No. 5, as Jolan Cailleau downed Joseph Di Giulio, 7-6, 6-3. All three remaining matches ultimately went to third sets, however UCLA appeared to be in good shape with Karue Sell (court No. 4) and Martin Redlicki (court No. 3) getting out to decent leads. Redlicki would give the Bruins a 3-1 lead when he downed Victor Cornea, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Not long after Sell would finish off the win for the Bruins, beating Alex Sendegeya, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
The 2015 USTA/ITA National Team Indoors takes place from Feb. 13-16 at Chicago's Midtown Athletic Club.
ITA Kick-Off Weekend
#4 UCLA 4, #48 Texas Tech 1
Jan 24, 2015 at Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles Tennis Center)
Doubles
1. #35 Dojas/Soares (TTU) def. #11 McDonald/Redlicki (UCLA) 6-4
2. Di Giulio/Sell (UCLA) def. Cornea/Sendegeya (TTU) 6-2
3. Mkrtchian/Rapp (UCLA) def. Curry/Francisco Zambon (TTU) 6-4
UCLA Wins Doubles Point
Singles
1. #7 Mackenzie McDonald (UCLA) def. #28 Felipe Soares (TTU) 6-0, 6-3
2. Dennis Mkrtchian (UCLA) vs. Hugo Dojas (TTU) 7-6, 3-6, 1-0, unfinished
3. #88 Martin Redlicki (UCLA) def. Victor Cornea (TTU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
4. Karue Sell (UCLA) def. Alex Sendegeya (TTU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
5. Jolan Cailleau (TTU) def. Joseph Di Giulio (UCLA) 7-6, 6-3
6. #90 Austin Rapp (UCLA) vs. Connor Curry (TTU) 6-2, 5-7, 2-2, unfinished
Match Notes
Texas Tech 6-2; National ranking #48
UCLA 3-0; National ranking #4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (1,5,3,4)
