Cal Plays No. 34 Stanford In Big Slam

Mikey Wright is ranked 51st with doubles partner Alex Chang.

MTEN2/23/2024 5:57 PM | By: Cal Athletics

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…