April 23, 2013
STANFORD, Calif.- With the regular season in the books, this weekend's Pac-12 Championships in Ojai, Calif., serve as the final tune-up before NCAA Tournament first and second round action begins in two weeks.
For the men, it's the second year of an eight-team tournament replacing the individual competition format. Meanwhile, the women's side features the traditional 32-player singles draw and 16-team doubles field.
MEN'S TEAM
No. 41 Stanford's fourth-place conference finish will result in the No. 4 seed for this year's tournament at the Pac-12 Championships. The Cardinal (11-10, 3-4 Pac-12) has received a first-round bye and will take the court on Thursday at 11 a.m., facing the winner of Wednesday's opening-round match between fifth-seeded Washington and eighth-seeded Arizona. Stanford defeated Washington 4-3 in Seattle on April 5 and cruised past Arizona 6-1 at home one week later.
Should Stanford win its quarterfinal match, the Cardinal would then face top-seeded and top-ranked UCLA on Friday at 12 p.m. The championship match is slated for Saturday at 4 p.m.
The Cardinal is coming off a 4-3 loss to No. 18 California over the weekend. Stanford lost for the first time in two weeks, snapping a three-match winning streak that helped build a case for an NCAA Tournament berth. A .500 record or better is a requirement for postseason play, so the Cardinal would feel much safer with at least one more victory.
Stanford's overall improvement from the start of the season is well-documented. What makes this year even more impressive is that Stanford has done it with a relatively inexperienced lineup that regularly features five underclassmen at six spots in the singles lineup. Stanford's last three losses have come by 4-3 margins against top-50 opponents.
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WOMEN'S TEAM
The women's side of the Pac-12 Championships features a 32-player singles draw and 16-team doubles field. So, head coach Lele Forood will likely use this week as an opportunity for some players to sharpen their games while others receive some much-needed rest.
No. 12 Stanford (16-4, 8-2 Pac-12) dropped a 4-3 decision at No. 9 California last Friday in what was expected to be a back-and-forth battle between two of the conference's top teams. The Golden Bears pulled out their first win in the series in eight attempts, a streak that dated back to 2009 and included a 6-1 home victory for the Cardinal back on March 2.
Both teams are expected to serve as likely host sites for NCAA Tournament first and second round competition, although the Golden Bears finished the year as the Pac-12's second-place team. The Cardinal tied UCLA for third, but owned the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bruins.
Stanford will be represented with at least three players in singles and one doubles team in the draw, which is announced Tuesday afternoon. If they're competing in singles, keep an eye on the following: No. 29 Kristie Ahn (23-4 overall, 18-2 duals, team-best six-match winning streak) and No. 19 Krista Hardebeck (team-high 28 overall wins, 14-6 duals, 14-3 in tournament play, ITA Northwest Regional singles champion).