BERKELEY - The eighth-seeded Golden Bears were itching to get out on the courts again after a week of finals, and they didn't disappoint in a 4-0 dismantling of Tennessee Tech in the NCAA round of 64 on Friday at the Hellman Tennis Complex. The Bears – who are also ranked eighth – will now face 21st-ranked Northwestern in Saturday's round of 32 for the right to advance to the Athens, Georgia, for the rest of the NCAA Championship.

Cal junior J.T. Nishimura clinched the win over the Golden Eagles with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Marc Mila on court five. The Bears improved to 19-7, while Tennessee Tech ends its run in the team tournament at 13-7.

Northwestern beat No. 45 Utah State, 4-2, in Friday's first match at Hellman.
 
The Bears were dominant in doubles. Nishimura and Bjorn Hoffmann knocked off Mila and Jorge Alfonzo, 6-1, on court three. The fifth-ranked pair of seniors Filip Bergevi and Florian Lakat also won 6-1, over Alberto Esteban and Guillermo Nicolas on court one, to clinch the point.
 
Cal won all six first sets in singles. Hoffmann doubled Cal's lead by beating Carlos Tajes, 6-1, 6-3, on court six. The 81st-ranked Billy Griffith then topped Alfonzo, 6-1, 6-0, on court four to give the Bears a 3-0 advantage, before Nishimura ended the match.

"We did well today considering our guys had finals this week and we haven't played a match in two weeks," Cal head coach Peter Wright said. "Tennessee Tech had an excellent season, and we knew we were going to have a challenge today. We set a good tone with how well we handled the pressure today, and winning the doubles point put us in great position going into the singles.
 
"Tomorrow will be a good test for us as Northwestern has been having a solid season, and they play with a lot of spirit."

On Friday, Northwestern dropped the doubles point to the lower-ranked Aggies and lost a singles match as well. The Wildcats eventually prevailed when Sam Shropshire beat Sam Serrano, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, at court-three singles.

The Bears take on the Wildcats at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championship Round of 64
 
[8] No. 8 California (19-7) defeated Tennessee Tech (13-7), 4-0
May 12, 2017, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
 
Doubles
1. No. 5 Filip Bergevi/Florian Lakat (Cal) def. Alberto Esteban/Guillermo Nicolas (Tenn. Tech), 6-1*
2. No. 74 Andre Goransson/Billy Griffith (Cal) vs. Eduardo Mena/Carlos Tajes (Tenn. Tech), 4-3 Unfinished
3. Bjorn Hoffmann/J.T. Nishimura (Cal) def. Marc Mila/Jorge Alfonzo (Tenn. Tech), 6-1
 
Cal won the doubles point
 
Order of Finish – 3, 1*
 
Singles
1. No. 12 Florian Lakat (Cal) vs. No. 58 Eduardo Mena (Tenn. Tech), 6-3, 3-4 Unfinished
2. No. 61 Andre Goransson (Cal) vs. Alberto Esteban (Tenn. Tech), 6-2, 4-0 Unfinished
3. Filip Bergevi (Cal) vs. Guillermo Nicolas (Tenn. Tech), 6-4, 2-1 Unfinished
4. No. 81 Billy Griffith (Cal) def. Jorge Alfonzo (Tenn. Tech), 6-1, 6-0
5. J.T. Nishimura (Cal) def. Marc Mila (Tenn. Tech), 6-1, 6-3^
6. Bjorn Hoffmann (Cal) def. Carlos Tajes (Tenn. Tech), 6-1, 6-3
 
Order of Finish – 6, 4, 5^

No. 21 Northwestern (22-10) defeated No. 45 Utah State (23-9), 4-2
May 12, 2017, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
 
Doubles
1. Jack Swindells/Jonas Maier (Utah St.) def. No. 80 Sam Shropshire/Konrad Zieba (Northwestern), 7-5*
2. No. 53 Strong Kirchheimer/Dominik Stary (Northwestern) def. Samuel Serrano/Kai Wehnelt (Utah St.), 6-2
3. Andrew Nakajima/Jaime Barajas (Utah State) def. Chris Ephron/Michael Lorenzini (Northwestern), 6-2
 
Utah State won the doubles point
 
Order of Finish – 2, 3, 1*
 
*Clinched the doubles point
 
Singles
1. No. 37 Strong Kirchheimer (Northwestern) def. Kai Wehnelt (Utah St.), 6-1, 6-2
2. No. 67 Konrad Zieba (Northwestern) def. Jaime Barajas (Utah St.), 6-1, 6-4
3. Sam Shropshire (Northwestern) def. Samuel Serrano (Utah St.), 6-3, 3-6, 7-5^
4. Dominik Stary (Northwestern) def. Jack Swindells (Utah St.), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
5. Sergiu Bucur (Utah St.) def. Ben Vandixhorn (Northwestern), 6-3, 6-2
6. Jonas Maier (Utah St.) vs. Jason Seidman (Northwestern), 5-7, 7-5, 3-2 Unfinished
 
Order of Finish – 1, 5, 2, 4, 3