The Big West Men's and Women's Tennis Championships are still two weeks away, but Cal Poly men and Long Beach State women will be the top seeds when action begins at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on April 29.
NOTEWORTHY
Cal Poly Captures No. 1 Seed In Men’s Championship
It has been a long road to success this season for the Cal Poly men’s tennis program. The Mustangs began the 2010 campaign by losing seven straight and nine of their first 10 matches. Four of those 10 losses came by one point. However, the team buckled down and saw its fortunes change at the end of March in the Boise State Tournament. They won their final two matches at that tournament, then sprang an upset against rival and No. 67-ranked UC Santa Barbara in an important Big West match on Mar. 31. The Mustangs knocked off another ranked club when they beat No. 53 UC Irvine on Saturday and cemented the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Big West Men’s Tennis Championship with Sunday’s triumph at UC Riverside.
The No. 1 seed is Cal Poly’s first since 2007, the same year the Mustangs claimed the conference’s regular season title. Cal Poly is assured of at least a share of this season’s regular season crown. UC Irvine can lay claim to a co-championship with road victories this weekend against UC Davis and Pacific. The Anteaters also would wrap up the No. 2 seed in the tournament with two wins. The top seeds receive automatic byes into the semifinals.
Long Beach State Women Finished League Slate Undefeated For Third Straight Year
Long Beach State continued to excel in Big West women’s tennis, finishing the regular season undefeated for the third consecutive year. The 49ers capped an 8-0 league campaign with a 6-1 victory at Cal State Northridge on Saturday. Since the Big West moved to a round robin format in 2006, the 49ers have posted a sparkling 37-1 record in regular season matches against conference opponents. The 49ers last lost in conference play on March 1, 2007 to UC Irvine. LBSU also is seeking its seventh straight Big West Tournament title, entering as the No. 1 seed later this month in Indian Wells.
The battle for second place will be determined this week as Cal Poly, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara are all in action. The Mustangs and Gauchos host UC Riverside to close out their league slate, while the Anteaters trek up north to face UC Davis and Pacific. In the event of a three-way tie, UC Santa Barbara owns the tiebreaker for the No. 2 seed by virtue of its total number of match points (8) against the two other tied teams.
Rankings Review
In addition to Long Beach State’s No. 40 ranking, four other men’s and women’s programs are listed in the Campbell/ITA rankings this week. On the women’s side, Cal Poly continues its impressive season at No. 58 in the poll. The Mustangs (13-5) are presented with an opportunity to defeat No. 39 Saint Mary’s, which earned a win at Long Beach State last week. UC Irvine, riddled by injuries for some time, is finally starting to get healthy. The Anteaters dominated No. 64 San Diego 6-1 with No. 2 player April Bisharat back in the lineup.
Two teams are ranked on the men’s side with No. 51 UC Irvine and No. 60 UC Santa Barbara. Those two teams met in last year’s conference tournament championship match, as the fourth-seeded Gauchos defeated the second-seeded Anteaters.
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 has been in Indian Wells, while the Gauchos have captured four straight titles on the men’s side.