Pac-12 announces tennis players of the week

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - CALIFORNIA junior Gregory Bayane and UCLA junior Robin Anderson were voted Pac-12 men’s and women’s tennis Players of the Week for play from Jan. 21-27, the Conference office announced today. 

Bayane won all four matches as 16th-ranked California won twice in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at Pepperdine to qualify for the ITA National Men’s Team Indoor Championships. Against No. 33 Alabama, the Meaux, France, native teamed with fellow sophomore Chase Melton to beat the Crimson Tide’s Sean Donohue and Becker O’Shaughnessey, 6-3. Bayane then topped Stuart Kenyon, 6-3, 6-2, in singles as Cal came from behind to win the overall match, 4-2. Against host and 12th-ranked Pepperdine, the duo of Bayane and Melton was again the only Cal doubles team to win as they defeated David Sofaer and Pedro Leme, 6-2. As part of another come-from-behind effort, Bayane beat Leme in singles, 6-1, 6-2, and Cal won the match, 4-2. 

The top-ranked player in ITA’s singles and doubles rankings, Anderson went a perfect 4-0 over the weekend, helping the fifth-ranked Bruins to a pair of wins during ITA Kick-Off Weekend. The Matawan, N.J., native was perfect in singles in the team’s opening match against San Diego, downing Shani Blecher, 6-0, 6-0. She also teamed with Jennifer Brady in doubles, registering a 6-1 win over Blecher and Columba Di Filippo. The following day against TCU, Anderson earned a 6-3, 6-1 win over No. 30 Stefanie Tan before pairing with Brady again to notch a 6-2 win in doubles over Seda Arantekin and Millie Nichols. With the two wins on the weekend, UCLA qualified for a spot in next month’s ITA National Women’s Team Indoor Championships. 

Both teams will compete in their respective ITA National Team Indoor Championships in a couple of weeks, but not before taking on some dual meet action. Cal men’s tennis will host Hawaii on Thursday, Jan. 30 and St. Mary’s (Calif.) on Saturday, Feb. 1. The UCLA women’s tennis team also hosts two dual meets, taking on Loyola Marymount on Wednesday, Jan. 29 and UC Irvine on Thursday, Jan. 30. 

Also Nominated: 
Men’s: Sumeet Shinde, ARIZ; Daan Maasland, ORE; Mackenzie McDonald, UCLA; Eric Johnson, USC; Ben Tasevac/Devin Lane, UTAH. 
Women’s: Lacey Smyth, ARIZ; Desirae Krawczyk, ASU; Klara Fabikova, CAL; Alex Aiello, COLO; Nicole Long, ORE; Giuliana Olmos, USC; Olga Musilovich, WSU. 

2014 Tennis Players of the Week
              Men’s                                        Women’s
Jan. 21    Robin Cambier, Sr., Oregon        Kristie Ahn, Sr., Stanford
Jan. 28    Gregory Bayane, Jr., California    Robin Anderson, Jr., UCLA