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ASU Tennis: Sun Devils look to upset LA schools at home

By Carson Field

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 07: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky the Sun Devil stands on the court during the team's first-round game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Colorado Buffaloes at T-Mobile Arena on March 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Buffaloes won 97-85. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 07: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky the Sun Devil stands on the court during the team's first-round game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Colorado Buffaloes at T-Mobile Arena on March 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Buffaloes won 97-85. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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With two wins last weekend in the Pacific Northwest against Oregon and Washington, ASU men’s tennis is heating up at the right time.

After two tough losses to start Pac-12 play, ASU men’s tennis is back on track. The Sun Devils are back to .500 after crucial wins against Oregon and Washington last weekend.

Friday, ASU cruised to victory against No. 47 Oregon in Eugene. Doubles was once again a weak spot for the Sun Devils, but that was the only point ASU allowed in the entire match.

Following the win, Arizona State went north to Seattle to complete the weekend sweep. It was not an easy battle, however.

Unlike Friday’s match, the Sun Devil won the doubles point, giving ASU a quick 1-0 lead over Washington. Splitting singles 3-3 was enough to get Arizona State its second Pac-12 win of the year thanks to the doubles point.

With the road sweep under their belts, the Sun Devils are now 13-7 overall and 2-2 in Pac-12 play (the Cal loss was not a conference match). Also, Arizona State climbed four spots in the rankings after the sweep to No. 33 overall.

Although the Sun Devils played well against Oregon and Washington, their competition only increases this weekend.

ASU plays host to UCLA and USC this weekend, and both teams are highly-coveted in the ITA Rankings. UCLA is the No. 2 team in the nation while USC is 16th, and both of the Los Angeles-based programs hold winning records in Pac-12 play.

UCLA is 20-2 on the season, and the Bruins’ only two losses came at the hands of No. 1 Wake Forest and No. 4 Stanford. Most recently, UCLA defeated USC in six sets, extending the UCLA winning streak to nine matches.

Similar to the Bruins, USC also holds a winning record overall and in Pac-12 play. However, the Trojans have dropped three of their last four matches, but their one win was against California.

Next: ASU Men’s Tennis: Sun Devils clinch first conference win in wild weekend

The Sun Devils’ weekend starts on Friday against second-ranked UCLA. Friday’s match will begin at 5 p.m. PT and it can be seen on the ASU Live Stream.