BERKELEY – California seniors J.T. Nishimura and Billy Griffith are competing in the Saint Francis Health System All-American Championships this week, while their teammates play in the UCSB Classic from Friday through Sunday at UC Santa Barbara.
 
Nishimura is playing in the qualifying singles tournament, taking place at the University of Tulsa from Monday to Tuesday, and attempting to join Griffith in the main draw. He defeated Oklahoma State's Maxim Tybar, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, in Monday's first round. Two more wins would place Nishimura in the main draw. Griffith and Nishimura will also team up in qualifying doubles, which run Monday to Tuesday. Main draw singles and doubles take place Thursday through next Monday, Oct. 9, in Tulsa.
 
Click here to access the ITA's All-American page for links to the draws, scores and live video.
 
Last season, now former Bears Filip Bergevi and Florian Lakat captured the program's second doubles title at the All-American. The second-seeded and second-ranked Cal duo beat North Florida's Jack Findel-Hawkins and Lasse Muscheites, 6-4, 6-2, in the final at the University of Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
 
Last Time: Hoffmann Repeats At The Aggie Invitational
Cal sophomore Bjorn Hoffmann repeated as the top-flight singles champion and sophomore Nic Barretto won the B singles final on Sunday at the Aggie Invitational at UC Davis.
 
The top-seeded Hoffmann topped freshman teammate Paul Barretto, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, in the A final, while Nic Barretto – Paul's older brother – defeated Nevada's Jeremy Merville, 6-2, 6-2, in the B final. Hoffmann played for another title in the Doubles A final, but Hoffmann and sophomore Connor Heap fell to Nevada's O'Donovan and Robert Margitfalvi, 8-5.
 
At the All-American on Sunday, Cal freshman Jacob Brumm was within one victory of reaching qualifying singles. He played a tight match with Virginia's Matthew Lord in the pre-qualifying round of 32 but lost, 7-5, 7-6(3). In a pre-qualifying consolation match in Tulsa, Cal freshman Jack Molloy beat San Diego State's Arnaud Restifo, 6-3, 6-2.
 
Poll Position
The Oracle/ITA preseason rankings came out on Sept. 12, with Billy Griffith earning the No. 49 ranking in singles, and the pair of Griffith and senior J.T. Nishimura claiming the No. 39 ranking in doubles.
 
Last season, Griffith finished ranked 86th in singles after posting a 26-8 singles record, including a 16-6 dual-match mark. Nishimura and Griffith didn't play together in doubles in 2016-17, though Griffith and Andre Goransson finished the year with a 20-7 record (including 11-3 at No. 2 doubles) and ranked 79th. Nishimura and Bjorn Hoffmann were 13-11, including 10-10 at No. 3 doubles. In their first two seasons at Cal, Nishimura and Griffith compiled a 10-5 doubles record.
 
The next set of Oracle/ITA rankings – team, singles and doubles – will come out on Jan. 3, 2018.
 
Next Time
The Bears next compete at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships from Oct. 19-23 in Stockton, California.