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(Photo: Manuela Davies/USTA)

Cressy-Smith Caps Perfect Season With NCAA Title

May 25, 2019 | Men's Tennis

Final 2018-19 Stats

ORLANDO, Fla. – The second-seeded UCLA men's tennis pair of Maxime Cressy and Keegan Smith claimed the 14th NCAA Championships doubles title in program history Saturday, defeating Patrick Kaukovalta and Mazen Osama of Alabama 6-3, 6-4 at the USTA National Campus.

Cressy-Smith completed a perfect season with the victory, its 21st without a loss. Fifteen of those wins came against nationally-ranked opponents, including Saturday's against the nation's No. 11 pair. Cressy-Smith never dropped a set during the campaign, finishing that spotless run at 26 with Saturday's championship performance.

The win also gives head coach Billy Martin and the UCLA men's tennis program three of the last four NCAA doubles titles. Martin Redlicki and Evan Zhu took the top spot in 2018, while Redlicki and Mackenzie McDonald won in 2016. Sophomore Smith previously reached the semifinal round of the tournament with partner Austin Rapp in 2018, while senior Cressy was making his individuals debut.

"We've been working so hard, day in and day out for this moment," said Cressy. "I dreamt of that moment from the moment I stepped in as a Bruin and from the moment I committed as a Bruin. Doing it with Keegan is definitely something very, very special and I'm going to remember it for my entire life. And it's an amazing way to end my career, too. Unbelievable feeling."

Cressy-Smith and Kaukovalta-Osama traded holds of serve until an early, but pivotal break by the Bruins at 2-1. Needing to simply hold the rest of the way, Cressy-Smith did just that. A Smith serve was returned into the net to complete a 6-3 first set and move the Bruins closer to raising championship trophies.

The Crimson Tide tandem served to open the second set, beginning a string of eight holds to bring the score to 4-4. A big break by the Bruins the next time out meant Cressy-Smith needed just a hold for the title. Sure enough, the UCLA pair overpowered its Alabama counterpart to the tune of a 40-0 advantage and sealed it with a Smith ace. After simultaneously collapsing to the ground, the players ran full speed into an embrace.

"I think college tennis is awesome like that," said Smith. "You've got a band of brothers. You can share memories like this forever."

Gabby Andrews and Ayan Broomfield's win on the women's side completed a UCLA sweep of the doubles championships, a first by any program since 1988. The Bruins also accomplished the feat that year, as Allyson Cooper-Stella Sampras won on the women's side and Patrick Galbraith-Brian Garrow was victorious on the men's side.

UCLA MEN'S TENNIS NCAA DOUBLES CHAMPIONS
1950 – H. Flam & G. Garrett
1953 – L. Huebner & B. Perry
1954 – R. Livingston & B. Perry
1960 – A. Fox & L. Nagler
1965 – A. Ashe & I. Crookenden
1966 – I. Crookenden & C. Pasarell
1971 – J. Borowiak & H. Rahim
1976 – P. Fleming & F. Taygan
1978 – J. Austin & B. Nichols
1988 – P. Galbraith & B. Garrow
1996 – J. Gimelstob & S. Muskatirovic
2016 – M. McDonald & M. Redlicki
2018 – M. Redlicki & E. Zhu
2019 – M. Cressy & K. Smith