The Stanford men’s tennis team knew exactly how they could beat No. 28 California yesterday: come out hot and win the doubles point. Keep the momentum and play well in singles.

EnlargeEnlarge
Junior Blake Muller was victorious at No. 1 doubles yesterday against Cal. Muller teamed up with freshman Alex Clayton to win 8-3 and helped Stanford gain the all-important doubles point. #gallery http://daily.stanford.org/image/full/8650
Jeff Keacher

Junior Blake Muller was victorious at No. 1 doubles yesterday against Cal. Muller teamed up with freshman Alex Clayton to win 8-3 and helped Stanford gain the all-important doubles point.

And after convincing 8-3 victories by No. 37 Stanford at both No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, the Cardinal claimed the point, the momentum, four singles victories, and ultimately, the match.

Stanford downed rival Cal 5-2 yesterday in “The Big Smash”, a match that was postponed three days due to inclement weather over the weekend. Maybe the Cardinal needed the rest, because it played some great tennis last night and avenged two losses last year to the Golden Bears.

“It was a really great team effort,” said head coach John Whitlinger. “It was a very good win over a very good California team.

“I’m pleased with everyone tonight. Everyone stepped up.”

Stanford was led by freshman Alex Clayton, who teamed up with junior Blake Muller to win at the No. 1 doubles over Eoin Heavey and Pierre Mouillon of Cal. Clayton was also quick to gain another point for the Card at No. 1 singles, sending Kallim Stewart packing in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0. Clayton — the No. 2 ranked player in the nation — improved his singles record to 17-4 on the year.

Junior Matt Bruch continued his streak of good play, as he and freshman Ted Kelly won at No. 2 doubles over Cal’s Pedro Zerbini and Geoff Chizever. Bruch was also a straight-set winner at No. 2 singles, beating Heavey 7-6, 6-2. Bruch is 4-1 in both singles and doubles in his last five matches.

At No. 3 singles, sophomore Richard Wire also picked up a straight sets victory over Mouillon, 7-6, 6-2, and is also 4-1 in singles in the last five matches.

Freshman Greg Hirshman, coming off the match-clinching victory over Boise State last Friday, was again a winner at the No. 6 spot over Cal’s Ken Nakahara, 6-3, 7-5.

Stanford has worked diligently in practice on doubles, and it has paid off. The Cardinal has now won the doubles point in its last three matches, including the point against No. 4 Baylor.

“We have worked hard at doubles [in practice],” said Whitlinger. “It was a great effort in doubles tonight. I’m pleased with how [all three teams] played.”

This is the second straight win for the Cardinal and the second straight victory over a top-30 opponent. With a record of 4-5, the team is pleased with where it stands and how it’s played in the last few matches.

“Just look at our schedule,” said Whitlinger in reference to the Cardinal’s five losses on the year — No. 3 Georgia, No. 6 UCLA, No. 7 Southern California, No. 9 Baylor and No. 23 Tulsa.

“The matches we lost have made us better,” he said. “The schedule is demanding, but it has helped us out. We are getting better and better each day.”

Stanford ended its seven-match home stand with a 4-3 record. The Cardinal hits the road this weekend to play in the three-day Pacific Coast Doubles tournament in La Jolla, Calif. The road trip continues to the Arizona schools the following weekend.

Contact Danny Belch at dbelch1@stanford.edu.