The UCR men’s tennis team lost their first Big West match of the season against No. 72 UCI, 7-0, on Wednesday, April 1 at the Student Recreation Center.
It was a warm day with a slight breeze as the two collegiate teams faced off. In between serves, cheers and words of encouragement from both spectators and athletes alike could be heard.
Highlanders Julian Ruffin and Cooper Bridge battled in courts one and two, until a gruesome third deciding set, which both players lost.
Three Highlanders, Luis Gastao, Sina Sharifi and Calvin Ngo, lost their sets 6-2 and 6-1. Michael Carella lost his sets 6-1 and 6-4.
Sharifi, who played on the fourth court said, “I played a tough opponent today. He’s a very good player, but I definitely left some opportunities pass me for sure.”
In college tennis, there is no advantage scoring, which means when a game reaches deuce, whichever player wins the deciding point also wins the game. This means athletes get exactly one chance to defeat their opponent when a deuce occurs.
All of the tennis players competed hard on both sides in sweltering heat, with both athletes dripping in sweat, faces red from the sun and frustration from both ends.
When asked what challenges a tennis player must overcome, Sharifi emphasized the mental aspect of the game.
“They think it’s a ball being hit back and forth, but there are balls that club players that leisurely play, could easily hit shots that we would miss in a match,” he said.
“Even in boxing, you have some telling you what to do,” he said. “Sure I can have some come over and talk to me, but at the end of the day, it’s up to me to control my destiny, my results.”
According to Sharifi, “The people that can translate their practice habits to their match most efficiently are going (to be the) best players out there.”
Most tennis teams practice the same amount of hours, do the same drills and lift the same weights, but Sharifi emphasized the mental side of the games. “Establishing self-belief and believing in yourself and preserving in pressured situations” is the toughest aspect of the game according to Sharifi.
Men’s tennis travelled on Saturday, April 4 to face off against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and fell 5-0 to the Broncos, followed by another 1-6 loss to the UCSB Gauchos on Sunday. The Highlanders next play a home contest against the Binghamton Bearcats on Thursday, April 9.
