Wednesday, 02/09/2011

The Golden Bears (2-2) will play in front of the home crowd at Hellman Tennis Complex for the first time in 2011 as they prepare to host Utah (2-3), this Wednesday Feb. 9 at 1:30 p.m. The 18th-ranked California men's tennis team looks to post two victories after splitting matches twice in two road-trip weekends to open the dual schedule. The Bears took out an unranked Ute squad, 6-1, a year ago. The Utes have lost back-to-back matches, 6-1, to San Francisco, and 7-0, to Stanford as part of their California tour. Prior to the short skid, Utah was 2-1 to open the season with its only loss coming narrowly in a 4-3 defeat to rival Utah State.

Rival Stanford Comes to Berkeley For Big Slam This Saturday February 12, 2011
After taking on the Utes Wednesday, the Golden Bears will shift their focus to their Pac-10 rivals Stanford, as the No. 8 ranked Cardinal visit Hellman Tennis Complex on Saturday Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. The Cardinal (5-0) rides a five-match winning streak into the first Big Slam of the spring season. Stanford earned a 7-0 sweep over Utah after taking out a 15th-ranked Texas Tech squad a couple days earlier. Cal split its matches with the Cardinal in 2010.

Pedro Zerbini Receives Wild Card into SAP Qualifying
Cal senior Pedro Zerbini received a Wild Card into the qualifying draw of the SAP Open at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, CA, from tournament director Bill Rapp. Zerbini, who fell in the qualifying to former top 100 player Jimmy Wang, was also joined in the qualifying by former Cal star John Paul Fruttero who lost in the 2nd round to Pierre Duclos. The SAP Open continues this week with top stars Fernando Verdasco, Lleyton Hewitt, Gael Monfils and James Blake. Another Cal connection in San Jose is Kei Nishikori and his new adviser/coach, Cal parent Brad Gilbert. For ticket info go to www.sapopentennis.com or www.atptour.com.

Jim McManus Celebration of Life Service
There will be a Jim McManus Celebration of Life Service at the Berkeley Tennis Club on Saturday, March 26th at 3pm. The Memorial at the ATP headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida on February 5th was a fitting tribute to a man who did so much for so many people. The memorial was standing room only and was attended by a who's who of tennis players, executives, and industry icons. During the memorial, ATP Tour America CEO, Mark Young, dedicated the ATP headquarters as the 'McManus Building.' The Berkeley Tennis Club is a fitting location to remember Jim's life, as he spent many days playing, mentoring, and training at the BTC. One of the most memorable sights would be Jim heading off after practice for a run up into the hills with a group of aspiring players trailing behind.

Men's Tennis Team Earns Highest Male GPA
The men's tennis team recorded the highest grade point average for all men's teams at Cal for the fall 2010 semester. The team is in line to win the Newmark Award (named after former men's tennis player Kent Newmark and his wife Pat), a cash prize to the highest men's and women's gpa, as well as an award for the most improved team gpa.

Dates Set for Napa 2011
Meadowood, Napa Valley will host the Land Rover Napa Valley Tennis Classic on September 23rd - 25th, 2011. The teams participating will be UCLA, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Tulsa, and Cal. The USTA will bring 8 top US juniors to compete in the field with the top prize being a Wild Card into a professional tournament.

Cal Tennis Camps Are Now Taking Sign-Ups!
Our camps are the last 3 weeks in July, with Adult camps in the mid-week evenings. The camps are fun-filled, provide great instruction to help improve your game, and make a great gift for the tennis player in your home! Go to www.calbears.com/camps for more information. Camps filled up quickly last year.

Lair of The Bear
Cal Tennis and the Lair of the Bear are partnering to better serve the needs of the tennis community. This year the Lair Golf and Tennis Camp (September 3-9), formerly known as Sports & Recreation Week, has been redesigned for the more serious, competitive, and accomplished player.  Club Lair (August 28-September 3) continues its focus on the casual player, someone who enjoys recreational tennis in addition to many other activities.

This year's programs have been infused with the philosophies and teaching experiences of current and former Cal coaches and players:  Jan Brogan, legendary women's coach, Peter Wright, current men's coach, Doug King, former Cal singles player and director of tennis at Meadowood Resort, and Steve Stefanki, former Cal player and current junior coach. To register for either of these exciting sessions, and to take advantage of a significant USTA member discount, please visit the Lair's website, or call Lair Reservations at 510.642.0221.