The UCLA men's tennis team has always been a traditional strong team in the NCAA, with a long history and profound foundation that no one can underestimate.
But unfortunately, the Bruins' last national championship was a full ten years ago. In the blink of an eye, the students have changed twice. Every year's championship journey seems to lack a little luck, which is very disappointing.
It’s frustrating; what’s even more cruel is that the rival University of Southern California in the same city has just completed four consecutive championships, and the celebrations after winning every year rub salt in the Bruins’ wounds.
Champion! Champion! Champion!
After every new season starts, the students at UCLA are eagerly looking forward to a championship trophy, but they fail every year.
This year, the Bruins got off to a strong start with a sweeping victory, and the students' confidence was boosted: Maybe, they can have a chance this year?
The mood of the students was clearly shown through the school newspaper reports——
"The journey sets sail again!"
Quietly, the students' expectations for the two freshmen are also slowly increasing. In the first place, there are two high-ranking strong players in Thompson and Geelong, and in the later two fresh faces, Macdonald and Gao Wen, increase their competitiveness.
The Bruins' overall strength does seem to have been improved across the board.
Three days later, the Bruins played their second home game of the season, and the number of spectators increased significantly. The dense crowd of nearly a thousand spectators covered more than a quarter of the stadium. The atmosphere at the scene also increased with the tide. The unique atmosphere of home field advantage.
It also gradually became more intense.
From this perspective, the school newspaper's reports did play a subtle role.
If anyone pays attention, they can find that the author of this report is signed by Elena Badin.
This... shouldn't be a coincidence, right?
No matter what, the season continues and the competition is still up for grabs.
Once again sitting at home, UCLA faced challenges from the University of Wisconsin and Texas Tech University. Amidst the cheers at home with a significantly improved attendance rate, the Bruins once again showed their strong posture as favorites to win the championship.
They defeated their opponents easily.
"5:0", the same score both times.
The Bruins won their third consecutive victory without a fight. Gauvin didn't even need to finish the game. The coaches of both sides had reached a consensus to terminate the game early.
It can be clearly felt that the school atmosphere is gradually becoming more and more heated. Occasionally in the classroom or on the campus, people gradually recognize the faces of Gao Wen and Macdonald. They also wave their fists to express their cheers and look forward to continuing their efforts in the following games.
Continue to maintain the good momentum.
Although it was not much, compared to the fanatical support rate of the football team, the tennis supporters seemed much calmer, but they could still faintly feel the ripples of influence. The friendly and enthusiastic shouts and applause made them realize that
I am not fighting alone.
Afterwards, Gao Wen followed the team on an away journey, leaving Los Angeles for the first time since his rebirth and heading to the southeastern corner of the North American continent to challenge the University of Florida.
The atmosphere of the away game is completely different. The piercing screams, turbulent applause and strong boos form a sharp contrast between the home team and the away team. The pressure and atmosphere also bring about many changes. On-the-spot performance is more or less
Even less will still be affected.
Facing the University of Florida, the Bruins lost their first point of the season——
There were two losses and one win in the doubles match. Among them, the Bruins' top doubles team fought hard to the tie-break in a bayonet-slashing confrontation, and unfortunately lost by a small score of "8:10". At the critical moment, the cheers from the home court were still inspiring.
The home team's morale improved and the situation was reversed. In the end, the University of Florida successfully stole the doubles points.
The University of Florida, playing at home, reached a climax. The roaring cheers and shouts from the audience were like entering a football field. The deafening cheers and noise interference created a world of difference in treatment. The singles game that followed was even more
It's a very special effort, every one of them is like a chicken blood.
Almost white-hot!
However, facing the University of Florida, which is ranked 11th in the country, UCLA still showed its current strength, which is ranked second.
Geelong, who was the first to appear, although it took a lot of effort, he still withstood the opponent's strong counterattack and blew the Bruins' counterattack horn with a tough and iron-blooded victory; Macdonald, Braymer, and Thompson won three singles
, defeating the opponent's defense step by step.
In the end, the game took on a different aspect, with the away disadvantage bringing out the best in the Bruins.
"4:1".
The Bruins showed superior dominance in singles and cut off the suspense of victory early. Therefore, in the last two singles, the coach of the University of Florida terminated the duel early and did not finish the game. The Bruins ushered in the first game of the season without any suspense.
Four wins and still undefeated.
In the next match, the Bruins faced the toughest and most difficult matchup of the season. They sat at home and faced the University of Georgia, ranked fourth in the country.
Two teams that have remained undefeated in the same season collide head-on. After a strong showdown, one side will inevitably suffer its first defeat of the season. Both sides are fully prepared. Facts have proved that this is indeed a close-quarters battle, with bayonets on the line.
Red's fierce battle, the competition between the two sides penetrated into all aspects.
In the doubles match that started first, UCLA had one win and two losses. It regrettably lost doubles points for the second consecutive game and fell behind at the start. The University of Georgia, which was well prepared, firmly grasped the relatively weak link of the Bruins' doubles and fought hard to win.
The first point cannot be missed.
In the subsequent singles match, Billy Martin made targeted changes:
Thompson played the second singles, Geelong played the first singles; Bremer played the fourth singles, MacDonald played the third singles; Di Giulio played the sixth singles, and Gauvin played the fifth singles. In other words, No. 2 played two singles.
The positions of the No. 1 singles were slightly changed, disrupting the University of Georgia's pregame layout.
Thompson, who was the first to appear, faced the strong impact of his opponent, and his solid and stable performance was eye-catching. He withstood the test of the tie-break in the second set and defeated his opponent with a big score of "2:0", setting the record for the Bruins.
Tied the total score.
Gao Wen, who came on the scene next, performed even better. He sent out a donut in the first set, and won the second set again with "6:3". A clean victory, allowing the Bruins to surpass the total score and actually win.
The action shows the depth of the Bruins, who are ranked No. 2 in the nation.
From being "0:1" behind in doubles defeat to "2:1" leading in singles winning streak, the same score, similar situation, the Bruins faced the same situation in two consecutive games. Just when everyone thought, the story
Back on track, UCLA relied on its outstanding singles strength to rush to victory, but the University of Georgia stood up——
Raise objections!
Not only does UCLA want this win, the University of Georgia also wants this win.