A handful of men's and women's tennis matches this weekend signal the start of the 2010 season. Both the Cal Poly men and women are in action, as well as the UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara men. The rest of the conference start swinging the rackets next week.
NOTEWORTHY
Big West Tennis Season Swings Into Action This Weekend
The 2010 Big West men's and women's tennis seasons officially begin this weekend with a light schedule of action. Only three men's teams and one women's team are competing. Cal Poly is getting an early start on both sides. The men host Concordia University on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Mustang women will have played four matches before any other Big West team tightens the strings on its rackets. On Saturday, CP hosts a doubleheader against Concordia University and Cal State Bakersfield. The Mustangs then hit the road for a pair of matches in the early part of next week. They face a couple of formidable opponents in No. 40 Pepperdine and No. 12 UCLA.
The remainder of men's action features UC Davis travelling to the Bay Area on Saturday for matches against host Santa Clara and UC Santa Cruz. On Sunday, four-time defending Big West Tournament champion UC Santa Barbara plays a neutral court match in Honolulu, Hawai’i against Saint Mary's, then faces the host Rainbow Warriors the following day.
Ranked Teams, Players Represent Big West In First ITA Poll
The first Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll came out on Jan. 5, and Big West teams and players were represented. Long Beach State, which has won six straight Big West Tournament championships, was the highest ranked women's team at No. 50. UC Irvine followed at No. 57 in the women's poll. Individually, Pacific's Jenifer Widjaja was No. 60 in singles, followed by Cal Poly's Suzie Matzenauer at No. 98 and UC Irvine's Stephanie Hammel at No. 109.
Three Big West women's doubles teams were also recognized in the ITA poll. Cal Poly's top two doubles teams - Amy Markhoff and Matzenauer, and Brittany Blalock and Steffi Wong – were ranked No. 42 and No. 58, respectively. Long Beach State incoming freshman Jaklin Alawi and teammate Rachel Manasse are rated No. 58 among the nation's doubles outfits.
On the men's side, 2009 Big West regular season co-champion Pacific earned a ranking of No. 69 by the ITA. Tiger junior Artem Gramma is No. 108 in singles.
Indian Wells To Host Big West Tennis Championships
For the seventh straight year, Indian Wells Tennis Garden is hosting the Big West Men's and Women's Tennis Championship. One of the most prestigious facilities in the United States, Indian Wells will host the six men's and nine women's teams from April 29-May 2. The Long Beach State women and UC Santa Barbara men took home the 2009 crowns. The 49ers have won all six previous years the championship was in Indian Wells, while the Gauchos have captured four straight titles on the men’s side.