Cal Plays No. 34 Stanford In Big Slam – California Golden Bears Athletics – California Golden Bears Athletics
Richard Hu
Mikey Wright is ranked 51st with doubles partner Alex Chang.
After completing a four-match homestand, the California men’s tennis team travels to The Farm to face 34th-ranked Stanford in a nonconference match and the first meeting of this season’s Big Slam. The second Big Slam of the season will take place April 20, when Cal will host the Cardinal in a Pac-12 match and the regular-season finale.
Match Details
Cal (3-4) at No. 34 Stanford (5-3)
When: Sunday, Feb. 25, 1 p.m. PT
Where: Taube Family Tennis Stadium, Stanford, Calif.
Watch: Livestream/Scores
Last Time Out: Jackson Upsets Tarvet In Cal’s Loss To USD
Cal senior Ryder Jackson upset the nation’s third-ranked singles player Sunday at the Hellman Tennis Complex, but the Bears lost to 18th-ranked San Diego, 4-1.
Cal won the first match of the day, with Mikey Wright and Alex Chang beating USD’s 21st-ranked Stian Klaassen and Sacchitt Sharrma, 6-3, at court-one doubles. But freshmen Bears Alex Aney and Timofey Stepanov fell to Lambert Ruland and Savriyan Danilov, 6-4, on court three. USD clinched the doubles point when Jackson and Jonathan Irwanto lost to Iiro Vasa and Oliver Tarvet, 6-2, on court two.
USD took a 2-0 lead when Sharrma beat Cal sophomore John Kim, 6-3, 6-1, in singles. Jackson, who dropped the court-one first set to USD’s third-ranked Oliver Tarvet, won the second set and was leading 3-1 in the third when rain stopped the match.
When play resumed about 20 minutes later, Jackson completed his rally, winning 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, and Cal trailed 2-1.
USD took a 3-1 lead when Klaassen beat Cal senior Lucas Magnaudet, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.
Despite the deficit, Cal had its chances to climb back into the match. Wins from Stepanov – whose match moved into a second-set tiebreaker – and Irwanto – playing deep into a third set – could have tied matters at 3-3. But as rain began to fall again, Ruland beat Chang, 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-5 to end the match.
Last Time Vs. Stanford
Cal split its two regular-season matches against Stanford last season, winning 4-3 at home – now former Bear Yuta Kikuchi clinched the victory – and losing 4-3 on The Farm. In a third meeting between the rivals in 2023, Stanford beat the Bears 4-2 in the Pac-12 Championship quarterfinal round.
Poll Position
Ryder Jackson moved into the ITA singles poll at No. 58 thanks to his big win against USD. The pair of Alex Chang and Mikey Wright – which likewise notched a notable victory vs. the Toreros – is ranked 51st in doubles.
Scouting the Bears
- The nationally ranked Ryder Jackson improved to 5-2 in singles against USD; the senior is also 5-2 in doubles
- Berkeley natives Mikey Wright and Alex Chang have a 2-0 doubles record; Chang is 14-6 in doubles overall and Wright is 12-8
- Sophomore Jonathan Irwanto (15-9) leads the Bears in singles wins
- Both Chang (14-7) and Timofey Stepanov (12-10) won twice in singles in the Feb. 3 doubleheader vs. UC Davis
- Chang (vs. Pepperdine), Stepanov (vs. UC Davis) and John Kim (vs. UC Davis) have each clinched a Cal win this season
- Overbeck, who has records of 11-10 in singles and 9-7 in doubles, captured the singles title at the Jack Kramer Invitational to close the first half of the season
- Kris Kwinta (UCLA ’08) is in his third season as the Peter Wright Director of Men’s Tennis
- Francis Sargeant (BYU ’15) is in his third season as a Cal assistant coach
- Former Santa Clara star Vasileios Iliopoulos is in his first season as a Cal assistant coach
Scouting the Cardinal
- Stanford has won three straight matches – 4-1 over Pepperdine, 4-0 over Sacramento State and 7-0 against UC Davis
- Four Cardinal players are ranked in singles in No. 32 Samir Banerjee, No. 51 Nishesh Basavareddy, No. 79 Neel Rajesh and No. 113 Kyle Kang
- Paul Goldstein is in his 10th year as head coach of Stanford
Next Time
The Bears compete in the Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship from March 1-3 in La Jolla, where Cal will also play UC San Diego on March 3.
Stay Posted
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