BERKELEY - California's Billy Griffith - ranked 79th - upset Stanford's 14th-ranked Tom Fawcett, 6-4, 7-6(4), in the Big Slam, but that wasn't enough as the 36th-ranked Golden Bears lost to No. 2 Stanford, 4-1, on Saturday afternoon at the Hellman Tennis Complex.

Cal's record fell to 3-4 after the nonconference match. Stanford improved to 10-1.
 
The Bears got off to an inauspicious start, as the Cardinal won the doubles point. Stanford clinched when Cal sophomore Dominic Barretto and freshman Can Kaya fell to Timothy Sah and David Wilczynski, 6-2, on court three. Cal freshmen Ben Draper and Jack Molloy also lost to the 27th-ranked pair of Tom Fawcett and Axel Geller, 6-3, on court two.
 
In singles, Wilczynski defeated Cal freshman Jacob Brumm, 6-2, 6-2, on court five, and then Griffith's win over Fawcett on court one left Stanford in front 2-1.
 
"He's a really good player," Griffith said. "I knew going in it was going to be a tough match. I figured he was going to play pretty aggressive, so I tried, in the beginning as much as possible to keep him back and prevent him from attacking me, and it worked out in my favor."
 
With the remaining four matches each going to three sets, Cal had a shot to knock off the Cardinal.
 
But it wasn't meant to be, as Draper lost to William Genesen, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, on court six and then the 32nd-ranked Geller beat Nishimura, 7-6(9), 2-6, 6-3, on court two to secure Stanford's win.
 
"You have to give credit to Stanford," said Peter Wright, Cal's Director of Men's Tennis. They're playing well, and they're having a good season so far. I do feel the doubles played a role in this. We came out and fought well in singles. We're starting five freshmen, in doubles and singles, and there's a lot of learning going on, on all the courts. That being said, I thought our team competed well out there in a lot of aspects.
 
"We're going to take this match, we're going to learn from it and we're going to be better at the end of the year. This young group is learning so much, and they're improving every day. It's a fun group to work with."
 
A large crowd was on hand to watch the rivals battle in the first of two Big Slam matches this season. They'll play the second – in a Pac-12 Conference match – on April 13 on the Farm.
 
"We really have wonderful, loyal fan base," Wright said. "I have to say that the crowd makes a difference for us. We love to play in front of a big crowd. Every match at home is a big deal, and having our Cal family around us is fantastic. Our players play for that. They don't want to play in a quiet arena; they want to play in a college tennis match that's full of excitement and cheering and that's what we got today."

Cal returns to the courts when they play at San Diego State and start play at the Pacific Coast Doubles Championships in La Jolla, California, on March 1.

No. 2/4 Stanford (10-1) defeated No. 36 California (3-4), 4-1
Feb. 24, 2018, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
 
Doubles
1. No. 36 Sameer Kumar/Michael Genender (Stanford) vs. No. 30 Billy Griffith/J.T. Nishimura (Cal), 5-3 Unfinished
2. No. 27 Tom Fawcett/Axel Geller (Stanford) def. Ben Draper/Jack Molloy (Cal), 6-3
3. Timothy Sah/David Wilczynski (Stanford) def. Dominic Barretto/Can Kaya (Cal), 6-2
 
Stanford won the doubles point
 
Order of Finish: 2, 3*
*Clinched the doubles point
 
Singles
1. No. 79 Billy Griffith (Cal) def. No. 14 Tom Fawcett (Stanford), 6-4, 7-6(4)
2. No. 32 Axel Geller (Stanford) def. J.T. Nishimura (Cal), 7-6(9), 2-6, 6-3^
3. No. 91 Sameer Kumar (Stanford) vs. Jack Molloy (Cal), 7-5, 1-6, 5-4 Unfinished
4. No. 120 Eric Fomba (Stanford) vs. Paul Barretto (Cal), 3-6, 6-4, 5-3 Unfinished
5. David Wilczynski (Stanford) def. Jacob Brumm (Cal), 6-2, 6-2
6. William Genesen (Stanford) def. Ben Draper (Cal), 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
 
Order of Finish: 5, 1, 6, 2^
^Clinched the overall match