The Stanford men’s tennis team heads to Tulsa, Okla. this weekend for the opening of its dual season. The Cardinal will prepare to take on No. 23 Tulsa and No. 2 Georgia, likely one of the toughest opening schedules in the nation. Though the squad will be facing a very difficult challenge, the team is excited and prepared for the opportunity.

“This will be a good test for our guys,” said head coach John Whitlinger. “For our first matches of the year we are into the fire already.”

The Cardinal will feature a fully healthy lineup for one of the first times this season. Junior Matt Bruch, an integral part of the team’s success over the past few years, will be ready to play after an injury held him out last week. Stanford will face the Golden Hurricane today, followed by the Bulldogs tomorrow.

“Tulsa is a very good team and very underrated,” Whitlinger said. “It will be a difficult match and they will have a good crowd indoors.”

Tulsa’s Michael D. Case indoor tennis center is a very tough place to play. When the crowd fills in and the noise gets going, it makes it very difficult for the opposing team.

“We can’t get caught up with the noise and things like that,” Whitlinger added. “We’re just going to focus on what we’re doing and go out and play our game. And we’ll see what happens.”

Tulsa, already 3-0 on the season, features senior Ricardo Soriano, ranked No. 44 in the nation, as well as the No. 5 doubles team in the nation, Andy Connelly and Ross Cunningham. Soriano and Arnau Brugues are ranked No. 15 in doubles.

As for Georgia, the Cardinal is well aware of the formidable Bulldog program. This year, Georgia has three nationally-ranked individuals and one ranked doubles team: No. 4 Travis Helgeson, No. 17 Nate Schnugg, No. 67 Jamie Hunt and the No. 46 duo of Hunt and Daniel Tobar in doubles. This will also be Georgia’s first dual match of the season.

“They are the defending NCAA champions — that’s about all you need to say,” Whitlinger said.

Even though the Cardinal might not be favored this weekend, the team is not going down without a fight.

“Just because a team looks better than you on paper doesn’t mean you can’t win the match,” said junior Blake Muller. “We are all competing next to each other and affecting the guys next to us. Anything can happen.”

On paper, Stanford doesn’t even seem to be an underdog. The Cardinal has four players ranked in the top-100 in singles: No. 2 Alex Clayton, No. 41 Ted Kelly, No. 75 Richard Wire, and the No. 96 Bruch. That is more than both Tulsa and Georgia.

Nonetheless, this weekend will be crucial for the Cardinal as they look to make a big statement for the rest of the season.

“It’s good to go out and play the best,” Whitlinger said. “You play them early in the season so you know what you have to work on and improve. It’s going to be a challenge, but it will be a great college tennis match.”

Last year, the Cardinal finished with an underachieving 8-16 overall dual record. Both players and coaches know that last year was tough but this year should be a rebound. Stanford is currently ranked No. 42 in the first poll of the season and believes that they should be ranked even higher. Results this weekend will be a great benchmark of where they stand.

“We are a pretty good team,” Whitlinger said. “This weekend we will have something to say about our ranking.”