April 6, 2004

BERKELEY, Calif. - The Cal men's tennis team was involved in another close match, Tuesday, at the Hellman Tennis Center in Berkeley. Only this time the Golden Bears came out on top, 4-3, over the No. 10 Stanford Cardinal. The Bears improve to 7-12 on the year, while the Cardinal drops to 12-6.

It was the seventh 4-3 match the Bears have been involved with this season and the third time they have come out with the score in their favor.

Cal was led by seniors Wayne Wong and Balazs Veress, who both picked up victories over ranked opponents by an identical score of 6-3, 6-4. Wong, who has been ranked in the top 100 by the ITA over the past month, defeated No. 11 Sam Warburg in straight sets. Veress, who just reentered the ITA's rankings at No. 57, defeated 2003 All-American KC Corkery.

Jacob Leivent picked up the third singles point for the Bears by defeating James Pade, quickly, 6-1, 6-2. The win snaps his eight-match losing streak and is his first victory since March 13 against Texas A&M.

The showdown in doubles action went to Stanford, as two nationally ranked teams collided in court No. 1, with Warburg and Corkery defeating the team of Briaud and Veress, 8-2. But the Bears battled back, showing their heart and resilience, winning on courts two and three and picking up a valuable point which proved to be the difference in the match.

Kuni Minato and John Pettit won the crucial third and deciding doubles match against Carter Morris and Phil Sheng. The two teams went back and forth, exchanging volleys and forehands, but in the end an unforced error by Sheng and Morris gave the Bears the victory.

Cal 4, Stanford 3


Doubles

1)Warburg/Corkery (Stan)
def Briaud/Veress (Cal) 8-2
2)Browne/Wong (Stan)
def Pade/Wan 8-6 (Stan) 8-6
3)Minato/Pettit (Cal )
def Morris/Sheng (Stan) 9-8

Singles
1)Wong (Cal)
def Warburg (Stan) 6-3, 6-4
2)Veress (Cal)
def Corkery (Stan ) 6-3, 6-4
3)Wan  (Stan)
def Browne (Cal) 6-1, 6-1
4)Pade (Stan
def Briaud (Cal) 6-4, 7-5
5)Leivent (Cal)
def Morris (Stan) 6-1, 6-2
6)Rasmussen (Stan)
def Pettit (Cal) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4