Utah Set to Host Final Home Matches of the Season
SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah men's tennis team is slated to finish wrap up the regular season with two final home matches. The first match is set against the UCLA Bruins on Friday, April 19 and the second against the USC Trojans on Sunday, April 21.
MATCH INFORMATION
Utah (3-17, 0-6 Pac-12) vs No. 23 UCLA (12-6, 4-2 Pac-12)
DATE|TIME: Friday, April 19 | 3:00 p.m. MT
LOCATION: Salt Lake City, UT | George S. Eccles Tennis Center
LIVE STATS: Click Here LIVE STREAM: Click Here
TWITTER UPDATES: @UtahTennis
MATCH INFORMATION
Utah (3-17, 0-6 Pac-12) vs No. 50 USC (6-15, 1-5 Pac-12)
DATE|TIME: Sunday, April 21 | 3:00 p.m. MT
LOCATION: Salt Lake City, UT | George S. Eccles Tennis Center
LIVE STATS: Click Here LIVE STREAM: Click Here
TWITTER UPDATES: @UtahTennis
LAST TIME OUT
The Utes wrapped up their road matches last weekend with contests against No. 22 Arizona State and No. 10 Arizona. Despite exhibiting stellar potential in each of the competitions, the squad fell short 4-0 in both matches.
HEAD COACH ROELAND BRATEANU
Utah Head Coach Roeland Brateanu, reigning Pac-12 Coach of the Year, leads the Utes for his tenth season this spring. Under Brateanu's guidance, the Utah men claimed the Pac-12 Champions title as well as finished with a No. 1 ranking in the ITA Mountain Region last spring. Currently Brateanu boasts a 159-102 overall record. Additionally, Brateanu was also named Intermountain Coach of the Year by the USTPA for the 2023 season
THE UTES
The Utah roster is comprised of seven returning players. Geronimo Espin Busleiman returns to compete for the Utes at the No. 1 spot after an impressive 2023 spring season. Berk Bugarikj also returns after he boasted an ITA No. 1 ranking in doubles for the Mountain Region last season. Bruno Krenn also returns for the Utes, claiming his first victory at the No. 2 spot in the season opener and taking a notable victory at the No. 1 spot in Utah's home match against LMU.
Twins Jayson Blando and Michael Blando return for their third season with the squad. Geremia Rossi makes a comeback to the team for the third time this spring season and taking the No. 3 doubles spot with partner Dylan Applegate. This is Applegate's second season with the Utes.
Gianluca Citadini is the single newcomer for the Utah team. The Argentinian national reached as high as No. 139 on the ITF Junior World Rankings and is a Grade 1 National Tournament Champion in Argentina. Citadini claimed his first regular-season collegiate win in the No. 5 spot at Utah's season opener and recently secured a win at the No. 4 spot in the home match against LMU.
SCOUTING THE BRUINS
The No. 23 UCLA Bruins are currently 12-6 overall on the season and 4-2 in Pac-12 action. The Bruins most recently posted a 4-2 win against the No. 50 USC Trojans and a 4-3 win earlier this month against the No. 20 Stanford Cardinal. The last time Utah and UCLA met was during the 2023 season, finishing in a 4-1 win for Utah. The teams are 3-11 overall, and Utah posts a 1-4 record at home against the Bruins.
SCOUTING THE TROJANS
The USC Trojans currently hold a 6-15 record on the season and are 1-5 in Pac-12 play. The Trojans most recently posted a 4-2 loss against No. 23 UCLA and a 4-0 loss to No. 20 Stanford. The last time the Utes rivaled the Trojans was during the 2023 season, resulting in a 4-2 loss for Utah. The Trojans are currently undefeated against Utah.
UP NEXT
As the season comes to a close, the Pac-12 teams will play one last championship tournament. The Utah men's tennis squad will head to Ojai, Calif. for the Pac-12 Championships April 24-28.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along during the 2024 season on social media (Twitter: @UtahTennis | Instagram: @UtahTennis | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utahmenstennis).