The UCLA men’s tennis team (4-1) meets UC Irvine (0-2) in an early-season match Saturday at Los Angeles Tennis Center, with first serve scheduled for 12 p.m. PT. The Bruins are looking to continue their 2023 success at home, holding a 3-0 record after wins against Hawai’i (Jan. 20), then-No. 19 Pepperdine (Jan. 21) and Portland (Feb. 4).
FOLLOW LIVE
Fans unable to attend home UCLA men’s tennis matches in person can still follow live. Live streaming and live scoring will be available for all matches played at Los Angeles Tennis Center HERE.
LAST TIME OUT
Making his dual-match debut, Gianluca Ballota clinched UCLA’s 6-1 win against Portland Feb. 4 at Los Angeles Tennis Center. Patrick Zahraj and Giacomo Revelli of the Bruins were also triumphant on the singles courts before the deciding victory. Azuma Visaya and Alexander Hoogmartens tacked on points. It was a two-win day for Hoogmartens, who helped seal the doubles point alongside Timothy Li. Maxim Groysman prevailed late for the Pilots.
UCLA VS. UC IRVINE
UCLA holds an all-time record of 44-2 versus UC Irvine. The programs met most recently during the 2022 season, when the Bruins registered a 7-0 win at Los Angeles Tennis Center. Stefan Leustian clinched the victory, turning in one of five straight-set results on the singles courts. The Anteaters prevailed in 1988 and 1989.
BLAME IT ON THE HOOGIE
Each of Alexander Hoogmartens’ most recent five wins has come versus an opponent ranked in the top 50 of the ITA National Singles Rankings. He is 7-3 overall against nationally-ranked foes during the 2022-23 season. Hoogmartens’ four latest singles victories have also come in straight sets, starting when he beat No. 43 Trey Hilderbrand of Texas A&M 6-3, 6-2 (Jan. 13) at the Sherwood Collegiate Cup in Thousand Oaks, Calif. To start the dual-match campaign, Hoogmartens has knocked off No. 41 Andre Ilagan of Hawai’i (Jan. 20 – 6-4, 6-1), Daniel De Jonge of Pepperdine (Jan. 21 – 6-1, 6-3), Pablo Alemany of Memphis (Jan. 28 – 6-1, 6-4) and No. 47 Sema Pankin of Portland (Feb. 4 – 6-4, 6-3).
IN THE RANKINGS
A winner of five decisions in a row – all against top-50 counterparts – Alexander Hoogmartens was elevated to a career-best No. 15 in the ITA National Singles Rankings Wednesday. He has now been listed in the top 80 nationally of every installment of the…
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