The UCLA men's tennis team has always been a traditional NCAA team 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 always seems to lack a little luck, which is very disappointing. What’s even more cruel is that the rival University of Southern California in the same city has only completed four consecutive championships. The celebrations after winning the championship every year rub salt in the Bruins’ wounds.
champion! champion! champion!
After every new season begins, UCLA students 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 could 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 rising. 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 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, and the unique atmosphere of home field advantage increased. It also gradually became richer.
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. Amid the cheers at home with significantly improved attendance, the Bruins once again showed their strong posture as favorites to win the championship. They all defeated their opponents easily.
"5:0", the same score both times.
The Bruins ushered in three consecutive victories without any blood. Gao Wen 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. Keep up 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, roaring 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 Still will 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 top doubles team of the Bruins fought hard to the tie-break in a confrontation with red bayonet, and unfortunately lost with a small score of "8:10". At the critical moment, the cheering sound of the home team was still inspiring. The home team's morale turned around and the University of Florida managed to steal 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 special effort, every one of them is like a chicken's 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, Bremer, and Thompson won three singles , defeating the opponent's defense step by step.
In the end, the game took on a different dimension, with the road 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 the game was not completed. The Bruins ushered in the first game of the season without any suspense. Four wins and still undefeated.
In the next confrontation, 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. Red's fierce battle, the competition between the two sides penetrated into all aspects.
In the first doubles match, 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. There is no room for error in the first point.
In the subsequent singles match, Billy Martin made targeted changes:
Thompson played second singles and Geelong played first singles; Bremer played fourth singles and MacDonald played third singles; DiGiulio played sixth singles and Gauvin played fifth singles. In other words, the positions of No. 2 and No. 2 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 delivered a donut in the first set and won the second set again with "6:3". It was a clean victory that allowed 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, with the same score and similar situation, the Bruins faced the same situation in two consecutive games. Just when everyone thought that 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!
It’s not just UCLA that wants this win, Georgia is also hungry for this win.
