A continuous stream of rainy weather across California has postponed or cancelled several tennis matches involving Big West teams over the last week. Depending on how the weather cooperates, this weekend's schedule includes seven women's and two men's matches against ranked opposition. The UC Santa Barbara men are slated to take on top-ranked USC on Saturday.
NOTEWORTHY
Waterlogged
Heavy rains in the southern California area have postponed several men’s and women’s tennis matches in the opening week of the 2010 season. The Cal Poly women had matches at Pepperdine and UCLA wiped out due to the inclement weather. In addition, the Long Beach State and UC Irvine season openers were postponed against USC and San Francisco, respectively. Rescheduled dates and times have not been determined yet.
The Cal Poly men also had the start of its season interrupted due to rain. The Mustang home opener on Sunday against Concordia was cancelled. On Wednesday, Cal Poly’s match at Pepperdine was postponed and rescheduled for Jan. 27 at 1:00 p.m.
In The Books
Despite all the rain-induced postponements on the schedule, some matches were played last week. The UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara men both went 1-1 in competition, and the Cal Poly women opened with a 7-0 blanking of Cal State Bakersfield.
Busy Weekend Ahead
A full slate of matches is on tap for this weekend, especially on the women’s side, where seven of the 12 opponents Big West teams will face are currently ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association top 75. UC Irvine travels to No. 9 USC, UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis head to No. 30 Arizona State, and UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton journey to No. 42 San Diego State. The Titans also play at No. 59 San Diego. Pacific has a match at No. 41 UNLV to round the list of ranked opponents. On the men’s side, UC Irvine treks to No. 26 Washington and UC Santa Barbara faces off against the nation’s top-ranked team, USC, on Saturday.
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.