INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Jack Molloy posted the biggest win of his college career thus far when the California freshman clinched the 39th-ranked Golden Bears' 4-3 upset victory over 26th-ranked Arizona State on Sunday in the championship final of the BNP Paribas Open Collegiate Tennis Challenge presented by Oracle.
 
Minutes earlier, fellow Cal freshman and countryman Ben Draper defeated the Sun Devils' William Kirkman, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, on court five to tie the match at 3-3 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Molloy then ousted ASU's Tim Ruehl, 6-4, 6-4, on court three to end the contest and set off an on-court celebration with the Bears.
 
Cal – which was seeded third in the tournament – improved to 8-4 after the nonconference win, which marked the fourth time Molloy has clinched for the Bears. ASU – which was the top seed – is 10-6.
 
The Bears took the doubles point when the 32nd-ranked pair of Billy Griffith and J.T. Nishimura held off ASU's Ruehl and Michael Geerts, 7-6(3). Cal sophomore Dominic Barretto and freshman Can Kaya also won on court two against Kirkman and Thomas Wright – no relation to Cal freshman Thomas Wright – 6-1.
 
The match was tied at 2-2 after Griffith and Nishimura lost in singles at courts one and two, respectively, and ASU's Wright retired with an injury on court six to give Cal freshman Jacob Brumm a win at 6-3, 3-3.
 
Andrea Bolla put the Sun Devils up 3-2 when he topped Cal freshman Paul Barretto, 6-3, 6-4, on court four – before the Bears from Great Britain closed out the match.
 
"It's a great feeling to be the Oracle Collegiate Tennis Challenge champions this year," said Peter Wright, Cal's Director of Men's Tennis. "It's one of the best tournaments of the year for our guys, and Oracle does an incredible job running the event."
 
This is Cal's first championship win in the annual tournament, which consisted of three consecutive days of action. The matches coincided with the last three days of the BNP Paribas Open professional tournament at Indian Wells.
 
"I'm so proud of our guys for how they handled the pressure and distractions today," Wright added. "Our seniors led the way by clinching the doubles point, but after that it was all freshmen. Our challenge today was to come out with great energy because we played a tough match in the semifinals yesterday against Baylor. We knew ASU would be tough, and they started the singles out by putting us on our heels. Our guys stuck to their game plans, fought back and played strong, aggressive tennis. Playing three matches in three days is a physical test, and I'm pleased with how our guys handled the challenge."
 
The Bears return to Pac-12 action when they play USC on March 30 and UCLA on March 31 in Los Angeles.
 
BNP Paribas Collegiate Tennis Challenge presented by Oracle
Championship: No. 39 California (8-4) defeated No. 26 Arizona State (10-6), 4-3
March 18, 2018, in Indian Wells, Calif.
Indian Wells Tennis Garden
 
Doubles
1. No. 32 Billy Griffith/J.T. Nishimura (Cal) def. Michael Geerts/Tim Ruehl (ASU), 7-6(3)*
2. Andrea Bolla/Makey Rakotomalala (ASU) def. Ben Draper/Jack Molloy (Cal), 6-1
3. Dominic Barretto/Can Kaya (Cal) def. William Kirkman/Thomas Wright (ASU), 6-1
 
Cal won the doubles point
 
*Clinched the doubles point
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
 
Singles
1. No. 61 Michael Geerts (ASU) def. No. 52 Billy Griffith (Cal), 6-4, 6-4
2. No. 116 Makey Rakotomalala (ASU) def. J.T. Nishimura (Cal), 6-1, 6-3
3. Jack Molloy (Cal) def. Tim Ruehl (ASU), 6-4, 6-4^
4. Andrea Bolla (ASU) def. Paul Barretto (Cal), 6-3, 6-4
5. Ben Draper (Cal) def. William Kirkman (ASU), 6-3, 4-6, 6-0
6. Jacob Brumm (Cal) def. Thomas Wright (ASU), 6-3, 3-3 ret. (inj.)
 
^Clinched the overall match
Order of Finish: 2, 6, 1, 4, 5, 3^