The UCLA men’s tennis team won its final home match of the season against Northwestern with a 4-0 victory in Big Ten Conference play at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on April 12. The Bruins, ranked No. 24 nationally, also held a ceremony to recognize senior players Gianluca Ballotta, Will Steinberg, and Aadarsh Tripathi after the doubles matches.
This match was significant as it marked both a strong finish for UCLA’s regular-season home schedule and an opportunity to celebrate its senior athletes. The Bruins improved their record to 14-6 overall and 8-3 in conference play with this win.
Ballotta and Tripathi contributed to securing the doubles point for UCLA by winning their respective matches on separate courts. In singles action, Andy Nguyen earned a win when his opponent retired early, while Emon van Loben Sels defeated Cyrus Mahjoob with scores of 6-2, 6-2 for his team-leading twentieth singles victory of the season. Cassius Chinlund clinched the fourth point by beating Chad Miller in straight sets (6-0, 6-3), increasing his own singles record to an impressive 18 wins.
Northwestern fell to a record of 15-12 overall and is now preparing for its final regular-season contest against Illinois. For UCLA, this match served as preparation ahead of two remaining road games: one at Oregon on April 17 at UO’s Student Tennis Center and another at Washington’s Lloyd Nordstrom Tennis Center on April 19.
The outcome strengthens UCLA’s position heading into postseason competition while also providing recognition for departing seniors who have contributed significantly throughout their collegiate careers.
