For the second time in less than a month, California men’s tennis junior Alex Chang was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday.
The award is the second career honor for Chang, who also claimed the accolade on March 19, and is the second for Cal this season.
The Berkeley native was lauded for his play in the 65th-ranked Golden Bears’ victories over Utah, No. 47 UC Santa Barbara and Saint Mary’s over the weekend, where he won three times in singles and, with Mikey Wright, won twice in doubles. Cal improved to No. 51 in Tuesday’s ITA team rankings.
In the win over the Utes on Saturday at the Hellman Tennis Complex, the pair of Chang and Wright – ranked 41st in the latest poll – defeated Geronimo Espin Busleiman and Bruno Krenn, 6-2, on court one as the Bears went on to claim the doubles point. Now ranked 123rd in singles, Chang bested Jayson Blando 6-1, 6-4, on court three. Beating Utah improved Cal’s Pac-12 Conference record to 3-1.
Against the Gauchos on Sunday, Chang beat Lucca Liu, 6-4, 6-4, en route to Cal’s 4-3 triumph. Chang and Wright’s doubles match was abandoned after their teammates secured the doubles point.
Sunday featured a doubleheader at Hellman, with Cal dominating Saint Mary’s, 7-0, in the night cap. Chang and Wright topped Diego Jarry and Paulo Hugo Etchecoin, 6-2, to clinch the doubles point and give the Bears a 1-0 lead. Later Chang beat Jarry at court-two singles, prevailing 6-3, 6-1, as the Bears rolled to victory.
Cal (10-7) next plays at No. 54USC on Friday and at No. 28 UCLA on Sunday.
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