Our observations from Texas men's tennis' win over UCLA in NCAA Tournament second round
Texas men's tennis hosted No. 25 UCLA in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Saturday, sweeping the Bruins 4-0 to advance to the super regionals. The Longhorns extended their winning streak to 15 as they continue their quest to win another national title. They next face Texas A&M, which advanced by defeating San Diego State.
Here are three observations from Texas' win over UCLA.
Doubles trouble
Texas found itself in trouble early even before the match started, as senior Eshan Talluri found out in the morning that he wouldn't be playing the No. 3 line with his usual partner, Pierre-Yves Bailly. Instead, redshirt freshman Lucas Brown subbed in, debuting an entirely new duo for the second round of the tournament.
An hour after the match started, the duo soon found themselves in the unenviable position of a winner-takes-all tiebreaker. With Cleeve Harper and Micah Braswell already having lost at the No. 2 line and Eliot Spizzirri/Siem Woldeab winning at the top spot, the pressure was on for Talluri and Brown.
"I'm a senior, but I actually haven't played a ton of matches until right this year," Talluri said about the win. "So I think it was a new experience for both of us but I think both of us are really energetic players that rely on and feed off each other."
They came through for UT, winning 7-6(4) and clinching the doubles point over UCLA despite their inexperience. Coach Bruce Berque acknowledged that they didn't play their best match, but he was proud nonetheless.
"I think in the big moments they really stepped up and did a good job," Berque said.
Eliot Spizzirri struggles
The now No. 2 player in the country had some uncharacteristic struggles vs. UCLA's top player, Govind Nanda. The Longhorn struggled as Nanda avoided unforced errors and his defense pulled Spizzirri into long rallies and errors.
While Nanda ranks as the 32nd player in the country, the two players have a lengthy history that dates back to their junior days. The Bruin was able to win the first set 7-6(6) and claim a break over Spizzirri before the other matches concluded and ended UCLA's season.
Regardless, Berque remains confident in his best player, remarking on the fight he showed despite the match being wiped from the scoreboard.
"I liked the way he was like he wasn't scoreboard watching at the end he was fighting for every point," Berque said.
Bring on the Aggies
A&M is incoming, and with it comes the extra spice that always rises up when the maroon clashes with the burnt orange.
Texas faced off with the Aggies last year, beating them 5-2. The Longhorns are currently on a four match winning streak vs. their rivals and Berque is excited for another chance to face off - and potentially eliminate - the folks from College Station.
"Especially with a match with such big implications it's gonna be a lot of fireworks and hopefully we have a full house again," Berque said.
For Talluri, it's not just the fact that Texas is facing A&M. It'll also be his last match at the Austin Tennis Center due to his impending graduation.
"I'll be darned if I'm not going to give everything I got vs. A&M," Talluri said.
As for Brown, it's a little more simple.
"I don't rock with the Aggies," he said with a grin.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas men's tennis sweeps UCLA, sets up NCAA match with Texas A&M
