Pre-season Opener vs. UCSB

The third ranked Bruins will host the 68th ranked UCSB Gauchos tomorrow at 1:30

This will be the first pre-season dual match for us and the second for the gauchos who played Westmont College last week. The gauchos blanked Westmont 7-0

Their lineup against Westmont was as follows:  

DOUBLES

#1 Recknagel/Ndimande (UCSB)
#2 Gryaznov/Bouillin (UCSB) 
#3 Riminton/Johnson (UCSB) 

SINGLES

#1 Benjamin Recknagel (UCSB) 
#2 Mbonisi Ndimande (UCSB)
#3 Axel Bouillin (UCSB)
#4 Sasha Gryaznov 
#5 Jacob Johnson 
#6 Andrew Riminton 

This team remains relatively unchanged from last year and had a strong showing in the ITA Regionals in Irvine at the beginning of the school year. 

Marcos met two of the Gauchos in ITA preseason play earlier this school year. In the round of 32 he defeated Gryznov (UCSB) 6-3,6-2.  In the round of 16 Marcos played senior Ben Recknagel and defeated him 6-2 6-3. 

In the round of 16 in doubles Dennis Mkrtchian teamed up with Warren Hardie (who left the team this quarter) and defeated the team of Gryaznov/Bouillin (UCSB) 7-6. 

Tomorrow should be an interesting match as the team will begin their quest towards the coveted national championship. Check back here or on the twitter page for the lineups and behind the scenes action tomorrow.   

ITA Preseason Rankings are out!

The ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) released the pre-season rankings for singles and doubles last week. The Bruins have four players in the top 60 in singles.

The highest ranked Bruin is Junior Frenchman Adrien Puget who is ranked 27. Adrien came of an impressive year which included clinching a semifinal spot for the Bruins in the team championship and being chosen to the NCAA All Tournament Team last season.

Another junior, Clay Thompson who played one for the Bruins last season is ranked not too far behind Adrien at 29.

Sophomore Marcos Giron, who is coming of an impressive freshman year, that included an NCAA All-Tournament Team selection is ranked 33.

Dennis Novikov, who made an impressive run to the second round of the US Open is the last pre-season ranked Bruin at 54.

Adrien is also ranked in doubles with redshirt senior Alex Brigham (who will be returning to play for the Bruins winter  quarter) at the number 7 position. This duo proved their position when they defeated last season’s year-end number one ranked team of Blaz Rola and Chase Buchanan of Ohio State in a thrilling victory to clinch the doubles point for UCLA in the quarterfinals of the team championship.

The link below will lead to the ITA tennis preseason ranking news release.

http://www.itatennis.com/AboutITA/News/ITA_Announces_Campbell_ITA_Division_I_Men_s_Preseason_Rankings.htm