SANTA CLARA, Calif. ‑ Serving up the 2014-15 season, four members of the Santa Clara men's tennis team will pack their bags and travel north this week to open the season competing at the Mount Tam Invitational or Battle In The Bay Classic.
The Mount Tam Invitational will begin this Wednesday, October 8 at the Mount Tam Racquet Club in Larkspur, Calif. The University of San Francisco will host the Battle In The Bay Classic at the California Tennis Club with play beginning on Friday, October 10 and continuing throughout the weekend.
Head Coach Derek Mills noted that the players are excited to return to the courts after a summer of individual development, preparation and demanding practices.
This year's team welcomes back five returning players, including four upperclassmen, from last season's squad that racked up 17 victories and garnered the No. 56 overall ranking in the nation. Senior Ilya Osintsev will lead the charge for the Broncos at the Mount Tam Invitational. The Novosibirsk, Russia native posted an 18-3 singles mark last season, including a near-perfect 14-1 record in dual match competitions. For his accomplishments, Osintsev received All-WCC Second Team honors and finished as the No. 13 singles player in the Northwest Region. Junior Ashot Khacharyan, coming off a successful sophomore season in which he tallied 16 total singles wins, will also look to start the season off on the right foot when he takes the courts this weekend in Larksqur.
Fellow Broncos, senior Sam Bertram and sophomore Mikheil Khmiadashvilli, will open up their 2014-15 campaigns in the city by the bay. Bertram, a second year player for Santa Clara, collected 13 singles victories last season in his first season wearing the red and white. Khmiadashvilli will look to have a breakout year after clinching 13 singles victories, including an eight match winning streak, last season as a freshman. Both players will compete in singles action as well as pair up to take on the field in doubles.
14 teams predominantly from the West Coast will take part in this weekend's action in San Francisco, highlighted by the 2014 NCAA Champions from the University of Southern California. Other participants will include players from the University of San Diego, Stanford University and the University of California, Los Angeles. The main draw for singles action will consist of 32 players while doubles will be comprised of 16 pairings.