Bears Open Season with Home Doubleheader
Men's Tennis Open Dual Season
January 19, 1998
THIS WEEK:
Jan. 24 SAINT MARY'S BERKELEY 9 a.m.
Jan. 24 SANTA CLARA BERKELEY 1:30 p.m.
NEXT WEEK:
Jan. 30 WASHINGTON BERKELEY 1:30 p.m.
Jan. 31 OREGON BERKELEY Noon
TWIN-BILL ON TAP:
The California men's tennis team opens its 1998 dual match season Saturday with an All-Bay Area doubleheader. The Bears, who are currently the nation's No. 37 ranked team, begin the day with a 9 a.m. match versus Saint Mary's. Cal will then face Santa Clara in the second match of the day at 1 p.m. Both matches will be held at the Hellman Tennis Complex on the Cal campus.
THE LINEUPS:
Head coach Peter Wright has yet to set a lineup for this week's matches. However, look for Bobby Mahal, Nathan Jackmon, Chris Santoso, Adrian Barnes, David Sutton and Kian Raiszadeh to see action in the singles line up. The teams of Mahal/Jackmon, Santoso/Sutton and Minh Le/Erik Dmytruk should comprising the doubles squads.
PREVIOUS ACTION:
Saturday's dual matches will be the first of the season for the Cal men's team. In fact, it will be the first action of any kind for the Bears in quite some time as Cal hasn't played since Nov. 18 at the Rolex Northwest Regional. Overall, the Bears posted their strongest tournament of the fall season at the Rolex with the 22nd-ranked tandem of Mahal and Jackmon winning four straight matches to reach the doubles final. In singles action, Jackmon advanced into the semifinals and Mahal reached the quarterfinals before exiting, while two other Golden Bears, Sutton and Santoso, each won three matches before falling in the fourth round of play.
CAL IN THE RANKINGS:
After entering the 1997-98 campaign in the No. 41 slot according to the ITA's Rolex Preseason charts, the Bears climbed four spots in the fall rankings and now hold down the No. 37 position. Individually, Cal players rank as follows:
singles
79. Bobby Mahal (jr.)
doubles
22. Bobby Mahal (jr.)/Nathan Jackmon (sr.)
NOTE: The ITA's Spring I rankings will be released on Feb. 17.
THE COACHES:
Peter Wright enters his fifth year at the helm of the Cal program. The ninth coach and fourth alumnus to lead the Bears, he boasts a 48-40 (.571) career dual match record and earned 1997 Pacific-10 Conference Southern Division Coach of the Year honors following last season. Wright is assisted by associate head coach Cordell Ho, who is also in his fifth year with the Bears.
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