College previews: Stanford, Cal, Sac State, UC Davis, etc.

Nicole Gibbs lost to eventual champion Serena Williams in the
second round of the Bank of the West Classic on Gibbs' home
court at Stanford last July. Gibbs returns to the Farm for her
junior year after sweeping the NCAA singles and doubles titles.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   For a while, it appeared the Stanford women would have one of the greatest college teams of all time this season.
   Now, the Cardinal will have to settle for being a strong contender for its record 17th NCAA team title.
   After winning two pro tournaments in singles, including the $100,000 Odlum Brown Vancouver Open, and reaching the third round of the U.S. Open before losing to Maria Sharapova last summer, Mallory Burdette decided to forgo her senior season on the Farm.
   All Burdette did at Stanford was win the last two NCAA doubles titles and advance to last year's NCAA singles final, losing to teammate Nicole Gibbs.
   Shed no tears for Stanford, though. The Cardinal has three players with world rankings -- No. 225 Gibbs (who also won last year's NCAA doubles crown with Burdette), No. 308 Krista Hardebeck and No. 561 Kristie Ahn -- plus Stacey Tan, the 2011 NCAA singles runner-up, and Ellen Tsay, ranked No. 55 in college.
   Following are capsules of Northern California college teams:

STANFORD WOMEN

   Preseason national ranking -- No. 5. 
   Spring season opener -- Today at Freeman Invitational in Las Vegas and National Collegiate Tennis Classic in Indian Wells.
   Coach -- Lele Forood (13th year, 308-19, .942).
   Last season -- 21-2 (9-1 Pacific-12 Conference), lost in quarterfinals of NCAA Tournament.
   Key player lost -- Mallory Burdette, two-time reigning NCAA doubles champion, 2012 NCAA singles runner-up.
   Key returning players -- Junior Nicole Gibbs (Santa Monica), defending NCAA singles and doubles champion; senior Stacey Tan (Lakewood), 2012 All-Pac-12 second team, 2011 NCAA singles runner-up; junior Kristie Ahn (Upper Saddle River, N.J.), semifinalist in $25,000 Redding Challenger last September, 2010-11 All-American in singles; sophomore Ellen Tsay (Pleasanton), ranked No. 55 in preseason singles.
   Key addition -- Freshman Krista Hardebeck (Santa Ana), ranked No. 2 in preseason singles.
   Outlook -- The Cardinal is loaded, even without Burdette.

 STANFORD MEN

   Preseason national ranking -- No. 10.
   Spring season opener -- Defeated Sacramento State 7-0 on Tuesday.
   Coach -- John Whitlinger (ninth year, 134-67, .667).
   Last season -- 20-9 (5-2 Pac-12), lost in quarterfinals of NCAA Tournament.
   Key players lost -- Bradley Klahn, NCAA singles champion in 2010, quarterfinalist in 2011 and semifinalist in 2012; NCAA doubles runner-up in 2011, semifinalist in 2010 and quarterfinalist in 2012; Ryan Thacher,  NCAA doubles runner-up in 2011, semifinalist in 2010 and quarterfinalist in 2012.
   Key returning players -- Sophomore John Morrissey (Ireland), ranked No. 39 in preseason singles; senior Matt Kandath (Gansevoort, N.Y.); junior Daniel Ho (Rosemead); sophomore Robert Stineman (Winnetka, Ill.); junior Jamin Ball (Palo Alto), ranked No. 57 in preseason doubles with freshman Trey Strobel. 
   Key additions -- Freshmen Nolan Paige (Fairfield, Conn.), Maciek Romanowicz (Poland), Strobel (Bradenton, Fla.) and Anthony Tsodikov (San Francisco). 
   Outlook -- The Cardinal faces a rebuilding year. 

CAL WOMEN

   Preseason national ranking -- No. 7.
   Spring season opener -- Went 25-0 in singles and 10-2 in doubles in the Weinman Foundation Invitational in Honolulu from Saturday through Monday.
   Coach -- Amanda Augustus (sixth year, 96-31, .756).
   Last season -- 20-7 (8-2 Pac-12), lost in quarterfinals of NCAA Tournament.
   Key player lost -- Jana Juricova, NCAA singles champion in 2011, runner-up in 2010 and quarterfinalist in 2012; NCAA doubles champion in 2009.
   Key returning players -- Zsofi Susanyi (Hungary), ranked No. 7 in preseason singles; Anett Schutting (Estonia), ranked No. 9 in singles and No. 32 in doubles; Annie Goransson (Sweden), ranked No. 110 in singles and No. 32 in doubles; senior Tayler Davis (San Jose); sophomore Cecilia Estlander (Finland); junior Alice Duranteau (France), ranked No. 59 in doubles with sophomore Laura Posylkin (Novato).
   Key additions -- Freshmen Lynn Chi (Weston, Fla.), ranked No. 109 in preseason singles, and Klara Fabikova (Czech Republic), who lost 7-6 in third set to second-seeded Veronica Cepede Royg in the $25,000 Redding Challenger.
   Outlook -- Juricova was a big loss, but the Bears return the rest of their top seven players.

CAL MEN

   Preseason national ranking -- No. 14.
   Spring season opener -- Today at National Collegiate Tennis Classic in Indian Wells.
   Coach -- Peter Wright (20th season, 255-187, .577).
   Last season -- 14-12 (4-3 Pac-12), lost in round of 16 in NCAA Tournament.
   Key players lost -- Nick Andrews, 2012 All-American in doubles; Carlos Cueto, 2012 All-Pac-12 honorable mention.
   Key returning players -- Junior Ben McLachlan (New Zealand), ranked No. 7 in preseason doubles with older brother Riki McLachlan and No. 66 in singles; Christoffer Konigsfeldt (Denmark), ranked No. 42 in singles; redshirt sophomore Chase Melton (Santa Barbara), ranked No. 92 in singles; sophomore Gregory Bayane (France).
   Key additions -- Freshman Mads Engsted (Denmark), ranked No. 93 in preseason singles; freshmen Wyatt Houghton (Westlake Village), Stuart Miller (Napa) and Jordan Smith (Mercer Island, Wash.); sophomore Nikhil Jayashankar (Saratoga, transfer from Northwestern); junior Campbell Johnson (Rancho Santa Fe, transfer from Georgia).
   Outlook -- This is a typical Cal men's team: good but not great. 

SACRAMENTO STATE WOMEN

   Preseason national ranking -- No. 56.
   Spring season opener -- Feb. 1 at Arizona, 12:30 p.m.
   Coach --Dima Hyrnashka, seventh year (112-45, .713, overall; 47-0 in Big Sky Conference).
   Last season -- 17-10 (8-0 Big Sky), lost in first round of NCAA Tournament.
   Key players lost -- Tatsiana Kapshai, three-time Big Sky MVP; Clarisse Baca, three-time All-Big Sky first-team selection; Maria Meliuk, second-team All-Big Sky.
   Key returning players -- Senior Rebeca Delgado (Mexico), three-time All-Big Sky first-team selection; junior Sophie Lohscheidt (Germany); junior Katharina Knoebl (Austria).
   Key additions -- Freshmen Saskia Angerer (Austria), Olivia Boija (Sweden), Jennifer Nguyen (Australia) and Siobhan Ryan-Bovey (Ireland).
   Outlook -- The rebuilding Hornets seek their 12th consecutive Big Sky regular-season championship, conference tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. They have won 92 straight conference matches.

SACRAMENTO STATE MEN

   Spring season opener -- Lost to Stanford 7-0 on Tuesday.
   Coach -- Slava Konikov, eighth year (108-71, .603, overall; 50-3, .943, in Big Sky Conference).
   Last season -- 11-13 (7-1 Big Sky), lost in first round of NCAA Tournament.
   Key player lost -- Javier Millan, second-team All-Big Sky.
   Key returning players -- Senior Aliaksandr Malko (Belarus), first-team All-Big Sky; sophomore Marek Marksoo (Estonia), first-team All-Big Sky; sophomores Sean Kollar (Loomis), Roy Brandys (Poland) and Tom Miller (Great Britain).
   Key addition -- Redshirt freshman Niranjan Ram (India).     
   Outlook --The experienced Hornets eye their fifth consecutive Big Sky tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. 

UC DAVIS WOMEN

   Spring season opener -- Today vs. Northern Arizona in Tempe, Ariz., 1 p.m
   Coach -- Bill Maze, 18th year (193-160, .547, overall; 60-20, .750, in conference matches).
   Last season -- 12-12 (6-2 Big West Conference), lost in semifinals of Big West tournament.
   Key players lost -- Dahra Zamudio, second-team All-Big West; Kelly Chui.
   Key returning players -- Junior Megan Heneghan (Tustin), two-time All-Big West first-team selection; senior Lauren Curry (Walnut Creek); sophomore Layla Sanders (El Cerrito), second-team All-Big West in doubles; junior Nicole Koehly (Santa Ana); senior Ellie Edles (Costa Mesa). 
   Key additions -- Freshmen Claire Jaramishian (Fresno) and Tiffany Pham (Elk Grove).
   Outlook -- Led by Heneghan, the Aggies could contend for the Big West regular-season and tournament titles.

UC DAVIS MEN 

    Spring season opener -- Saturday at Santa Clara, 10 a.m.
   Coach --Eric Steidlmayer, first year.
   Last season -- 6-16 (1-4 Big West Conference), lost in quarterfinals of Big West tournament.
   Key players lost -- Chris Aria; Josh Albert, All-Big West honorable mention in doubles.
   Key returning players -- Senior Toki Sherbakov (Mountain View), All-Big West first team in singles, honorable mention in doubles; junior Kyle Miller (Pacific Grove), All-Big West honorable mention in doubles; senior Hugo Verdi-Fortin (Canada), All-Big West honorable mention in doubles; junior Alec Haley (Woodside); senior George Horowitz (Atherton).
   Key additions --Freshmen Brett Bacharach (Newcastle), Adam Levie (Solana Beach) and Mitch Thorp (Kent, Wash.).
   Outlook --Led by Sherbakov, the experienced Aggies should improve upon last season. 

ALSO

   Other national rankings and player notes:
   Women's team -- No. 42 Saint Mary's, No. 68 UC Irvine (with sophomore twins Kat and Ali Facey of Cameron Park), No. 72 Syracuse (with sophomore Breanna Bachini of Roseville).
   Women's singles -- No. 26 Katie Le (Santa Clara junior from Milpitas), No. 64 Jenny Jullien (Saint Mary's junior from France).
   Men's team -- No. 36 Santa Clara (with senior Matt Kecki of Sacramento).
   Men's singles -- No. 65 John Lamble (Santa Clara junior from Saratoga).
   Notes -- As a qualifier in her first pro tournament, Le stunned Cepede Royg, a Paraguayan then ranked No. 216 in the world, to reach the quarterfinals of the $25,000 Redding Challenger last September. Le, the reigning West Coast Conference Player of the Year, then lost to Sachie Ishizu of Japan. ...
   Kecki, an Australian Open junior doubles semifinalist in 2006 and 2007, transferred to Santa Clara after helping USC win two NCAA team titles and sitting out last season. ...
   Bachini went 4-5 in singles, primarily at No. 3 and No. 4, and 1-5 in doubles, mainly at No. 1, during her injury-plagued freshman year. Syracuse is coached by Luke Jensen, who won the French Open men's doubles title with his brother, Murphy, 20 years ago. The Orange coach, who was known as "Dual Hand Luke" because he's ambidextrous, teaches his players to hit with each hand.

Australian Open TV schedule, pro rankings, calendar

AUSTRALIAN OPEN TV SCHEDULE

(All Times PST)

   Today -- First round, 2-4 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 4-6 p.m. (Tennis Channel, live), 6 p.m.-4 a.m. Tuesday (ESPN2, live).
   Tuesday -- First round, 4-11 a.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (ESPN2, repeat), 2-4 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 4-6 p.m. (Tennis Channel, live), 6 p.m.-4 a.m. Wednesday (ESPN2, live).
   Wednesday -- Second round, 4-11 a.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (ESPN2, repeat), 2-4 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 4-8 p.m. (Tennis Channel, live), 8 p.m.-4 a.m. Thursday (ESPN2, live).
   Thursday -- Second round, 4-11 a.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (ESPN2, repeat), 2-4 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat); third round, 4-8 p.m. (Tennis Channel, live), 8 p.m.-4 a.m. Friday (ESPN2, live).
   Friday -- Third round, 4-11 a.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (ESPN2, repeat), 2-4 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 4-6 p.m. (Tennis Channel, live), 6 p.m.-4 a.m. Saturday (ESPN2, live).
   Saturday -- Third round, 4-6:55 a.m. (ESPN2, repeat), 7 a.m.-4 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat); fourth round, 4-6 p.m. (Tennis Channel, live), 6 p.m.-4 a.m. Sunday (ESPN2, live).
   Sunday -- Fourth round, 4-8 a.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 8 a.m.-noon (ESPN2, repeat), noon-4 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 4-6 p.m. (Tennis Channel, live), 6 p.m.-3 a.m. Monday (ESPN2, live).
   Monday, Jan. 21 -- Fourth round, 3 a.m.-4 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat); quarterfinals, 4-6 p.m. (Tennis Channel, live), 6 p.m.-3 a.m. Tuesday (ESPN2, live).
   Tuesday, Jan. 22 -- Quarterfinals, 3-11 a.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (ESPN2, repeat), 2-4 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 4-6 p.m. (Tennis Channel, live), 6 p.m.-3 a.m. Wednesday (ESPN2, live).
   Wednesday, Jan. 23 -- Quarterfinals, 3-11 a.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat), 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (ESPN2, repeat), 2-4 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat); TBA, 4-6:30 p.m. (Tennis Channel, live); women's semifinals 6:30-11 p.m. (ESPN2, live).
   Thursday, Jan. 24 -- Men's semifinal, 12:30-3 a.m. (ESPN2, live); semifinals, 3-10 a.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat); men's semifinal, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (ESPN2, repeat); semifinals, 1-8 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat); mixed doubles semifinal/women's doubles final, 8 p.m.-midnight (Tennis Channel, live).
   Friday, Jan. 25 -- Men's semifinal, 12:30-3 a.m. (ESPN2, live); men's semifinal/women's doubles final, 3-10 a.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat); men's semifinal, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (ESPN2, repeat); men's semifinal/women's doubles final, 1-11 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat).
   Saturday, Jan. 26 -- Women's final, midnight-2:30 a.m. (ESPN2, live); men's doubles final, 2:30-4:30 a.m. (Tennis Channel, live); women's doubles final, 4:30-6 a.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat); women's final, 6-8 a.m. (ESPN2, repeat); men's doubles final/men's semifinals/women's final, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat); women's final, 7-9 p.m. (ESPN2, repeat); mixed doubles final, 9:30-11:30 p.m. (Tennis Channel, live).
   Sunday, Jan. 27 -- Men's final, 12:30-3 a.m. (Tennis Channel, live); women's final, 4-6 a.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat); men's final, 6-11 a.m. (ESPN2, repeat); women's final/men's final, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Tennis Channel, repeat); men's final, 4:30-9:30 p.m. (ESPN2, repeat).

PRO RANKINGS

   Following are this week's world rankings of professional players with Northern California ties (change from last week in parentheses):

Men

   Kevin Anderson, Sacramento Capitals (2012) of World TeamTennis -- No. 31 in singles (+5), No. 91 in doubles (no change).
   Nick Andrews, Cal All-American in 2012, resident of Folsom in the Sacramento area -- No. 1,071 in doubles (-1), No. 1,516 in singles (+1).  
   Bob Bryan, 1998 NCAA doubles champion from Stanford -- No. 2 in doubles (no change), unranked in singles.
   Mike Bryan, 1998 NCAA doubles champion from Stanford -- Career-high No. 1 in doubles (no change), unranked in singles.
   Mardy Fish, Capitals (2012) -- No. 27 in singles (no change), No. 731 in doubles (no change).
   John Paul Fruttero, Cal All-American in 2001 and 2002 -- No. 132 in doubles (+1), unranked in singles.
   Artem Ilyushin, resident of Granite Bay in the Sacramento area -- No. 1,102 in singles (+1), No. 1,507 in doubles (no change).
   Bradley Klahn, 2010 NCAA singles champion and 2011 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- No. 255 in singles (-1), No. 577 in doubles (no change).
   Alex Kuznetsov, Capitals (2012) -- No. 219 in singles (no change), No. 224 in doubles (+1).
   Scott Lipsky, 2002 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- No. 25 in doubles (no change), unranked in singles.
   Sam Querrey, San Francisco native, Capitals (2012) -- No. 22 in singles (no change), No. 45 in doubles (no change).
   Ryan Sweeting, Capitals (2012) -- No. 153 in singles (-9), No. 1,094 in doubles (no change).
   Ryan Thacher, 2011 NCAA doubles runner-up from Stanford -- No. 546 in doubles (no change), No. 987 in singles (no change).
   Dmitry Tursunov, Folsom resident -- No. 121 in singles (+1), No. 289 in doubles (+1).
   Pedro Zerbini, All-Pacific-10 Conference first team at Cal (2009-11) -- No. 482 in singles (no change), career-high No. 606 in doubles (no change).

Women

   Mallory Burdette, NCAA singles runner-up in 2012 and NCAA doubles champion in 2011 and 2012 from Stanford -- No. 143 in singles (+1), No. 428 in doubles (-1). 
   Vania King, Capitals (2010-12) -- No. 20 in doubles (no change), No. 76 in singles (-1).
   Raquel Kops-Jones, 2003 NCAA doubles champion from Cal -- No. 14 in doubles (no change), No. 1,108 in singles (-4).
   Asia Muhammad, Capitals (2012) -- No. 161 in doubles (+1), No. 466 in singles (-1).
   Maria Sanchez, Modesto resident -- No. 115 in doubles (-1), No. 128 in singles (-1).

   Yasmin Schnack, resident of Elk Grove in the Sacramento area, Capitals (2011-12) -- No. 167 in doubles (no change), No. 548 in singles (no change).

   Romana Tedjakusuma, Tracy resident -- No. 461 in singles (-1), No. 1,107 in doubles (-2).
   CoCo Vandeweghe, Capitals (2009, 2012) -- No. 99 in singles (+1), No. 495 in doubles (no change).

CALENDAR

   Through Jan. 27, 2013 -- AUSTRALIAN OPEN, www.australianopen.org. 2012 champions: Novak Djokovic, Victoria Azarenka, Leander Paes-Radek Stepanek, Svetlana Kuznetsova-Vera Zvonareva.
   Tuesday -- Sacramento State men at Stanford in spring season opener for both teams, 1:30 p.m, www.hornetsports.com, www.gostanford.com.
   Friday -- Stanford women open spring season at Freeman Invitational in Las Vegas and at NCTC Classic in Indian Wells, Calif., times TBA, www.gostanford.com. UC Davis women open spring season vs. Northern Arizona in Tempe, Ariz., 1 p.m., www.ucdavisaggies.com.
   Saturday -- UC Davis men at Santa Clara in spring season opener for both teams, 10 a.m., www.ucdavisaggies.com, www.santaclarabroncos.com.
   Feb. 1 -- Sacramento State women open spring season at Arizona, 12:30 p.m., www.hornetsports.com.
   Feb. 1-3, 2013 -- Davis Cup, first round, Brazil at United States, www.daviscup.com.
   Feb. 9-10, 2013 -- Fed Cup, first round, United States at Italy, www.fedcup.com.
   Feb. 11-17, 2013 -- SAP Open, HP Pavilion in San Jose, www.sapopentennis.com. 2012 champions: Milos Raonic, Mark Knowles-Xavier Malisse.
   March 4-17, 2013 -- BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, Calif., www.bnpparibasopen.com. 2012 champions: Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka, Marc Lopez-Rafael Nadal, Liezel Huber-Lisa Raymond.
   April 26-28 -- Big Sky Conference men's and women's tournament, Gold River Racquet Club, Gold River, Calif., www.bigskyconf.com.

Graf, others in SAP exhibition; TV schedule; calendar

   The SAP Open in San Jose added considerable star power Wednesday for a mixed doubles exhibition.
   Stefanie Graf, Lindsay Davenport, Andy Roddick and Justin Gimelstob are scheduled to compete on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. A singles semifinal will follow.
   The SAP Open will be played for the 125th and final time Feb. 11-17 at HP Pavilion. The second-oldest men's professional tournament in the United States will be replaced on the calendar by Rio de Janeiro beginning in 2014.
   The singles draw features two-time defending champion Milos Raonic of Canada, the top three Americans (John Isner, Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish), 2002 titlist and former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, and 2010 champion Fernando Verdasco of Spain.
   Headlining the doubles draw are top-ranked Bob and Mike Bryan, who starred at nearby Stanford and won an Olympic gold medal last year in London. 
   Graf,  43, won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second all-time behind Margaret Court's 24. Last year, Tennis Channel ranked Graf the top female player of all time and No. 3 overall behind Roger Federer and Rod Laver.
   Roddick, 30, reached No. 1 in the world in 2003 and won the SAP Open in 2004, 2005 and 2008. He retired in September.
   Davenport, 36, climbed to No. 1 in singles and doubles. In singles, she won three Grand Slam crowns and an Olympic gold medal.
   Gimelstob, 35, gained the singles semifinals of the 2003 SAP Open. He won 13 ATP World Tour doubles titles and two Grand Slam mixed doubles crowns (both with Venus Williams).
   Here's the schedule of play for the evening sessions, beginning at 7 p.m., from Monday, Feb. 11, through Thursday, Feb. 14:
   Feb. 11 -- Fish (first-round singles) followed by another featured main-draw match.
   Feb. 12 -- Bryan brothers (first-round doubles) followed by Verdasco (first-round singles).
   Feb. 13 -- Isner followed by Alexandr Dolgopolov (both second-round singles).
   Feb. 14 -- Raonic followed by Querrey (both second-round singles).  
   Ticket packages and group tickets to the SAP Open are available by calling (408) ACE-2121. Individual session tickets will go on sale later this month. For more information, visit www.sapopentennis.com. 

TV SCHEDULE

(All times PST)

   Thursday -- Doha (men), quarterfinals, Tennis Channel, 4:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (live), 8 p.m.-midnight (delay); Hopman Cup (men, women), Tennis Channel, 12:30-6 p.m. (delay); Brisbane (women), quarterfinals, Tennis Channel, 6-8 p.m. (delay).
   Friday --Brisbane (women), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 1-5 a.m. (live); Doha (men), singles semifinals, Tennis Channel, 5:30-9:30 a.m. (live), doubles final, 9:30-11 a.m. (live); Auckland (women), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 3-7 p.m. (delay); Chennai (men), quarterfinals, Tennis Channel, 7-11 p.m. (delay).  
   Saturday -- Brisbane (women), final, Tennis Channel, 1-3 a.m. (live), 9-11 a.m. and 5-7 p.m. (repeat); Brisbane (men), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (delay); Shenzhen (women), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 3-7 a.m. (repeat); Doha (men), final, Tennis Channel, 7-9 a.m. (live) and 7-9 p.m. (repeat); Auckland (women), final, Tennis Channel, 3-5 p.m. (delay); Chennai (men), semifinals, Tennis Channel, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Sunday (delay).
   Sunday -- Shenzhen (women), final, Tennis Channel, 3-5 a.m. (delay); Hopman Cup (men, women), final, Tennis Channel, 5-10:30 a.m. (delay), 5-10:30 p.m. (repeat); Brisbane (men), final, Tennis Channel, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (delay); Chennai (men), final, Tennis Channel, 1-3 p.m. (delay); Doha (men), final, Tennis Channel, 3-5 p.m. (delay).

CALENDAR

   Jan. 14-27, 2013 -- AUSTRALIAN OPEN, www.australianopen.org. 2012 champions: Novak Djokovic, Victoria Azarenka, Leander Paes-Radek Stepanek, Svetlana Kuznetsova-Vera Zvonareva.

   Jan. 15 -- Sacramento State men at Stanford in spring season opener for both teams, 1:30 p.m, www.hornetsports.com, www.gostanford.com.

   Jan. 18 -- Stanford women open spring season at Freeman Invitational in Las Vegas and at NCTC Classic in Indian Wells, Calif., times TBA, www.gostanford.com. UC Davis women open spring season vs. Northern Arizona in Tempe, Ariz., 1 p.m., www.ucdavisaggies.com.

   Jan. 19 -- UC Davis men at Santa Clara in spring season opener for both teams, 10 a.m., www.ucdavisaggies.com, www.santaclarabroncos.com.

   Feb. 1 -- Sacramento State women open spring season at Arizona, 12:30 p.m., www.hornetsports.com.

   Feb. 1-3, 2013 -- Davis Cup, first round, United States vs. Brazil in Jacksonville, Fla., www.daviscup.com.

   Feb. 9-10, 2013 -- Fed Cup, first round, United States at Italy, www.fedcup.com.

   Feb. 11-17, 2013 -- SAP Open, HP Pavilion in San Jose, www.sapopentennis.com. 2012 champions: Milos Raonic, Mark Knowles-Xavier Malisse.

   March 4-17, 2013 -- BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, Calif., www.bnpparibasopen.com. 2012 champions: Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka, Marc Lopez-Rafael Nadal, Liezel Huber-Lisa Raymond.

   April 26-28 -- Big Sky Conference men's and women's tournament, Gold River Racquet Club, Gold River, Calif., www.bigskyconf.com.

Sad but memorable year: Top 10 stories of 2012

Milos Raonic of Canada serves to Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan in the 2012
SAP Open final in San Jose. Raonic won his second straight title in the
tournament, which will be held for the 125th and last time in 2013.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   It was a bittersweet year in Northern California tennis. 
   Officials announced that the second-oldest tennis tournament in the United States will leave after 2013, and a legend died at 76. But two former Stanford All-Americans, who happen to be twins, tied an all-time record and won an Olympic gold medal.
   Following are the top 10 stories of 2012, plus five honorable mentions:
   1. Bay Area to lose SAP Open — Northern California fans suffered a crushing blow when it was announced that next February's SAP Open will be the last after 125 years.
   Rio de Janeiro, the site of the 2016 Summer Olympics and a co-host of the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament, will replace San Jose on the ATP World Tour calendar beginning in 2014.
   Past champions include legends Don Budge, Jack Kramer, Rod Laver, Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. But the tournament has struggled to attract top players and big crowds in recent years.
   2. Bryans tie Newcombe-Roche — Bob and Mike Bryan won the U.S. Open for their 12th Grand Slam men's doubles title, tying the all-time record of Australians John Newcombe and Tony Roche.
   The 34-year-old sons of longtime Sacramento Capitals coach Wayne Bryan have won five Australian Opens, four U.S. Opens, two Wimbledons and one French Open. And they easily could play another five years.
   3. Bryans win Olympic gold — The Bryans earned their first Olympic gold medal, the only significant men's doubles honor to have eluded them, in London. They took the bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Games.
   4. MacKay dies — Barry MacKay, a Northern California legend, died in San Francisco after a long illness.
   MacKay left an indelible mark as a player, tournament director, promoter and commentator. Nicknamed "The Bear," he was among the friendliest and best-liked members of the tennis community.

Top-seeded Serena Williams won the Bank of the West Classic
at Stanford for the second year in a row. Photo by Paul Bauman

   5. Serena repeats — Top-seeded Serena Williams saved a set point and beat lucky loser CoCo Vandeweghe 7-5, 6-3 to win the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford for the second straight year.
   It was the first all-American final on the WTA tour in the United States since Lindsay Davenport routed Williams 6-1, 6-3 in Los Angeles eight years ago.
   6. Raonic repeats — Dropping only four points on his serve, third-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada wore down unseeded Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 7-6 (3), 6-2 in San Jose for his second consecutive SAP Open title.
   The 6-foot-5 Raonic won 28 of 31 points, including 17 straight, on his serve in the first set and 16 of 17 in the second set. He never surrendered more than one point in a service game.
   7. Ex-Capitals among top 100 players ever — Tennis Channel's list of the top 100 players of all time included three ex-Capitals: No. 12 Agassi, No. 43 Lindsay Davenport and No. 100 Michael Chang.
   The top 10 in the rankings, chosen by an international panel of experts, were Roger Federer, Laver, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg, Margaret Court, Chris Evert and Billie Jean King.

Mark Knowles, right, of the Bahamas won the 55th and last ATP World Tour
doubles title of his career with Xavier Malisse, left, of Belgium in the SAP Open.
Knowles was 40 at the time. Photo by Paul Bauman

   8. Knowles retires — The longtime Capital retired from the ATP World Tour just before his 41st birthday with 55 men's doubles titles, fourth among active players and tied for 15th in the Open Era (since 1968).
   The Bahamas native won three Grand Slam crowns in men's doubles and one in mixed doubles. He reached No. 1 in the world in men's doubles in 2002 and 2004.
   9. Gibbs sweeps NCAA titles — Stanford sophomore Nicole Gibbs became the first woman to sweep the NCAA singles and doubles titles in 17 years and the first Cardinal woman to do it in 27 years.

Stanford's Nicole Gibbs, losing to Serena Williams in the second
round of the Bank of the West Classic on Gibbs' home court,
became the first woman in 17 years to sweep the NCAA singles
and doubles crowns. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Gibbs, seeded third, outlasted doubles partner Mallory Burdette, seeded fifth, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 in Athens, Ga., after trailing 4-1 and 5-2 in the second set. Then, in a match moved indoors because of rain, second-seeded Burdette and Gibbs defeated unseeded Nadja Gilchrist and Chelsey Gullickson of host Georgia 6-2, 6-4.
   10. McDonald wins Easter Bowl — After sitting out for eight months last year with a blood disorder, Mackenzie McDonald of Piedmont won the boys 18 singles title at the prestigious Easter Bowl in the Palm Springs suburb of Rancho Mirage.

   McDonald, seeded third, beat No. 4 Alexios Halebian of Glendale in the Los Angeles area 6-4, 6-1 for his second singles title in the tournament. He also won the singles title in the 14s three years ago. McDonald will be a freshman at UCLA next fall.
   Honorable mention — The Capitals came within a tiebreaker of extending their record to seven World TeamTennis titles as Venus Williams edged Vandeweghe 5-4, giving the Washington Kastles a 20-19 victory in Charleston, S.C. It was Washington's 32nd consecutive triumph, the fourth-longest streak in the history of U.S. team sports. ...
   Mardy Fish, a former top-10 player, was plagued throughout the year by an accelerated heartbeat but reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and played two matches for the Capitals. ... 
   Raquel Kops-Jones, a San Jose resident and former NCAA doubles champion from Cal, climbed to a career-high No. 13 in women's doubles. ...  
   Sam Querrey, a San Francisco native and part-time Capital this year, defeated Novak Djokovic en route to the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters. ...  
   Maria Sanchez of Modesto won the inaugural Gold River Women's Challenger in the Sacramento area.  

Top Sacramento seeds recall epics vs. Agassi

James Blake, the reigning Sacramento Challenger champion,
lost to Andre Agassi in one of the greatest matches in U.S.
Open history. Photo by Paul Bauman

   For James Blake, it was one of the two most memorable matches of his career. For Benjamin Becker, it was perhaps the most-hyped match he has ever played.
   The top two seeds in October's $100,000 RelyAid Natomas Challenger in Sacramento are in the twilight of their careers, but they will always be linked to Andre Agassi.
   Both Blake and Becker were 25 when they faced Agassi in career-defining encounters at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the U.S. Open. Agassi was 35 and 36, respectively. Each match was played in front of almost 24,000 fans and a national television audience.
   Blake, a wild card, lost in a weeknight epic. Becker, a qualifier, won in a Labor Day matinee. Both players had mixed feelings afterward.
   In one of the greatest matches in U.S. Open history, Blake lost to the seventh-seeded Agassi 3-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in an All-American quarterfinal in 2005. One year later, Germany's Becker ended the unseeded Agassi's legendary career with a 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-5 triumph in the third round.

   San Francisco Chronicle columnist Bruce Jenkins covered the Agassi-Blake battle and wrote: "The people wanted neon, fireworks and memories, all of which they got, three times over. Many points were immediately preceded by thunderous standing ovations. There were so many astonishing shots, from both men, they could not possibly be recounted here."

Benjamin Becker, the top seed in this year's Sacramento Challenger, ended
Agassi's career in the 2006 U.S. Open. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Blake was coming back from a nightmarish 2004. He broke his neck when he slipped on a wet clay court chasing a drop shot during practice in Rome and hit his head on the net post. His father died two months later. Then he developed zoster, a viral disease often caused by stress that temporarily paralyzed the left side of his face and affected his balance. Blake rebounded to earn the ATP World Tour Comeback Player of the Year award in 2005.
   Blake served for the match against Agassi at 5-4 in the fifth set, but Agassi broke back with the help of two crushing returns. Agassi, playing in his 20th straight U.S. Open, was extended to a fifth-set tiebreaker in the tournament for the first time. After 2 hours, 51 minutes, he converted his second match point at 1:09 a.m.      

   "It couldn't have been more fun to lose," Blake told Agassi as they embraced at the net amid a long standing ovation in the still-packed stadium.
   "For 20,000 people to still be here, I wasn't the winner; tennis was," Agassi, the 1994 and 1999 U.S. Open champion and oldest man to reach the semifinals there since Jimmy Connors in 1991, told the crowd. "I don't know if I've ever felt this good here before."
   Blake, who will turn 33 on Dec. 28, won the Sacramento Challenger as the second seed. During the tournament, he was asked if the Agassi showdown was the most memorable match of his career.
   "Probably," Blake replied. "Either that one or the Davis Cup match were we won (the title) in Portland (Ore.). I beat (Russia's Mikhail) Youzhny in three tiebreakers. They're both pretty memorable."
   Blake outlasted Youzhny 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3) to give the United States a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Davis Cup final in 2007. The U.S. went on to defeat Russia 4-1 and end a 12-year Davis Cup title drought, the Americans' longest since the prestigious competition began in 1900. The U.S., which has won a record 32 Davis Cup championships, has not won the Cup since 2007.
   Blake most remembers the match point he saved against Agassi.
   "I hit a forehand inside in that he actually wrote about in his book ('Open,' published in 2009)," Blake said. "He said it was (10) feet from anywhere he thought I had a chance of going with that ball. ... I'm going to take my rips. I've practiced it a million times, so I might as well go for it now."
   But Agassi promptly closed out the match. He dispatched another American, Robby Ginepri, in the semifinals before losing to Roger Federer in four sets in the last Grand Slam final of Agassi's career. Blake, who climbed to a career-high No. 4 in the world in 2006, also reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open that year and the Australian Open in 2008. But Blake, now ranked No. 127, has never gone further in a Grand Slam tournament.
   Naturally, Agassi also wrote in his book about facing Becker, the 2004 NCAA singles champion from Baylor in Waco, Texas. Agassi, who was born with one vertebra out of alignment, was wracked by back pain at the time.
   "Thirty minutes before the match," Agassi wrote, "I get an anti-inflammatory injection, but it's different from the cortisone. Less effective. Against my third-round opponent, Benjamin Becker, I'm barely able to remain standing.
   "I look at the scoreboard. I shake my head. I ask myself over and over, How is it possible that my final opponent is a guy named B. Becker? I told (my coach, Darren Cahill) earlier this year that I wanted to go out against somebody I like and respect, or else against somebody I don't know.                        
   "And so I get the latter."
   Becker, who's not related to countryman and Hall of Famer Boris Becker, lost to Daniel Kosakowski, a 20-year-old wild card from the Los Angeles area, in the first round of the Sacramento Challenger. Becker was still recovering from a torn groin muscle. He said later in the week that the Agassi encounter was not the most memorable match of his career. But it's up there.
   "The most memorable was when I won my only title (on grass in s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, in 2009) because I felt it was a bigger achievement than beating Agassi, who obviously was not at his best.
   "It was my first time (in the) U.S. Open and first time on center court, Arthur Ashe (Stadium), in front of so many people. It was maybe the most hyped match I've ever played," said Becker, 31.
   The matchup featured two players under 6 feet, a rarity in men's professional tennis. Agassi was listed at 5-11 (180 centimeters) and 177 pounds (80 kilograms) and Becker at 5-10 (178 cm) and 158 pounds (72 kg).
   Despite the hype, Becker said the match wasn't difficult to play.
   "I had nothing to lose," he explained. "I knew I had a chance. I knew I was playing well because I went through qualifying, I won two (main-draw) matches, I felt good about myself, I was confident, I was still young, I just came from college.
   "I enjoyed it. I really just focused on the match. I had no distractions from the crowd or who I was playing. Obviously, I was nervous at the beginning. It wasn't as tough as maybe afterward, trying to play the tournament after you beat Agassi (with) the big hype and media attention I had."
   Andy Roddick, the ninth seed and 2003 U.S. Open champion, dismissed Becker 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in 95 minutes the next day.
   "I was so tired," Becker recalled. "I had maybe 2 1/2 hours of media (after beating Agassi), and obviously we played maybe three hours (actually 3 hours, 1 minute), and I had maybe less than 24 hours to prepare for the Roddick match. Obviously, he was way too good, so I had no chance."
   Becker admitted harboring mixed feelings about beating Agassi. As a junior, Becker idolized Boris Becker and Agassi.
   "It was tough to accept that I deserved to be the one that finishes his big career because I was just a kid coming from college ranked a hundred something (actually No. 112)," Becker said. "So I felt a little bit bad, obviously. As a fan, I would be pissed at myself to think that I was the guy. It would be maybe more appropriate for Roddick to do it, but that's how it was. I just wanted to win the tennis match. That's how I looked at it. I didn't want to beat Agassi -- I just wanted to win the tennis match."
   Becker went on to reach a career-high No. 38 in 2007, but the right-hander has dropped to No. 65 after undergoing two operations on his left elbow last year. He is 1-5 at the U.S. Open since 2006.    

CALENDAR

   Jan. 14-27, 2013 -- AUSTRALIAN OPEN, www.australianopen.org. 2012 champions: Novak Djokovic, Victoria Azarenka, Leander Paes-Radek Stepanek, Svetlana Kuznetsova-Vera Zvonareva.
   Jan. 15 -- Sacramento State men at Stanford in spring season opener for both teams, 1:30 p.m, www.hornetsports.com, www.gostanford.com.
   Jan. 18 -- Stanford women open spring season at Freeman Invitational in Las Vegas and at NCTC Classic in Indian Wells, Calif., times TBA, www.gostanford.com. UC Davis women open spring season vs. Northern Arizona in Tempe, Ariz., 1 p.m., www.ucdavisaggies.com.
   Jan. 19 -- UC Davis men at Santa Clara in spring season opener for both teams, 10 a.m., www.ucdavisaggies.com, www.santaclarabroncos.com.
   Feb. 1 -- Sacramento State women open spring season at Arizona, 12:30 p.m., www.hornetsports.com.
   Feb. 1-3, 2013 -- Davis Cup, first round, United States vs. Brazil in Jacksonville, Fla., www.daviscup.com.
   Feb. 9-10, 2013 -- Fed Cup, first round, United States at Italy, www.fedcup.com.
   Feb. 11-17, 2013 -- SAP Open, HP Pavilion in San Jose, www.sapopentennis.com. 2012 champions: Milos Raonic, Mark Knowles-Xavier Malisse.
   March 4-17, 2013 -- BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, Calif., www.bnpparibasopen.com. 2012 champions: Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka, Marc Lopez-Rafael Nadal, Liezel Huber-Lisa Raymond.
   April 26-28 -- Big Sky Conference men's and women's tournament, Gold River Racquet Club, Gold River, Calif., www.bigskyconf.com.

Querrey, Fish added to SAP Open in San Jose

Sam Querrey, a native of nearby San Francisco,
will play in the SAP Open in San Jose for the
eighth straight year. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Two more American stars, both with Northern California ties, entered the SAP Open.
   San Francisco native Sam Querrey and Mardy Fish, both of whom played part-time for the Sacramento Capitals of World TeamTennis this season, committed to the Feb. 11-17 tournament at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., organizers announced Wednesday.
   It will be the 125th and last SAP Open. The second-oldest tournament in the United States will be replaced on the calendar by Rio de Janeiro beginning in 2014.
   The demise of the SAP Open and move of the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles to Bogota, Colombia, beginning next year will leave California with only the popular BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on the ATP World Tour. The women's tour has Indian Wells, Stanford in the San Francisco Bay Area and Carlsbad in the San Diego region.
  The addition of the 22nd-ranked Querrey and No. 27 Fish gives the SAP Open the top three Americans. They will join No. 14 John Isner.

Mardy Fish plans to end a 5 1/2-month layoff
in February in San Jose. Photo
by Paul Bauman

   Also entered are two-time defending champion Milos Raonic of Canada, No. 18 Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine, past SAP Open champions Lleyton Hewitt (2002) of Australia and Fernando Verdasco (2010) of Spain, and reigning Olympic men's doubles gold medalists Bob and Mike Bryan of the United States.
   The 6-foot-6 Querrey, 25, will play in the SAP Open for the eighth straight year. He reached the 2010 semifinals -- losing to Andy Roddick 2-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) -- and 2009 quarterfinals and won the 2010 doubles title with Fish. However, Querrey has lost in the first round of singles for the past two years.

   Fish, who has battled a heart problem since last spring, plans to end a 5 1/2-month layoff in San Jose. He has been sidelined since defaulting a fourth-round match against Roger Federer in the U.S. Open in early September.
   Fish, who will turn 31 on Sunday, advanced to the singles final at San Jose in 2004 (losing to his close friend Roddick) and 2009 (falling to Radek Stepanek) and won the doubles title in 2004 (with James Blake) in addition to 2010.
   Ticket packages and group tickets for the SAP Open are available by calling (408) ACE-2121. Individual session tickets will go on sale in January. For more information, visit www.sapopentennis.com.  

CALENDAR

   Jan. 14-27, 2013 -- AUSTRALIAN OPEN, www.australianopen.org. 2012 champions: Novak Djokovic, Victoria Azarenka, Leander Paes-Radek Stepanek, Svetlana Kuznetsova-Vera Zvonareva.
   Jan. 15 -- Sacramento State men at Stanford in spring season opener for both teams, 1:30 p.m, www.hornetsports.com, www.gostanford.com.
   Jan. 18 -- Stanford women open spring season at Freeman Invitational in Las Vegas and at NCTC Classic in Indian Wells, Calif., times TBA, www.gostanford.com. UC Davis women open spring season vs. Northern Arizona in Tempe, Ariz., 1 p.m., www.ucdavisaggies.com.
   Jan. 19 -- UC Davis men at Santa Clara in spring season opener for both teams, 10 a.m., www.ucdavisaggies.com, www.santaclarabroncos.com.
   Feb. 1 -- Sacramento State women open spring season at Arizona, 12:30 p.m., www.hornetsports.com.
   Feb. 1-3, 2013 -- Davis Cup, first round, United States vs. Brazil in Jacksonville, Fla., www.daviscup.com.
   Feb. 9-10, 2013 -- Fed Cup, first round, United States at Italy, www.fedcup.com.
   Feb. 11-17, 2013 -- SAP Open, HP Pavilion in San Jose, www.sapopentennis.com. 2012 champions: Milos Raonic, Mark Knowles-Xavier Malisse.
   March 4-17, 2013 -- BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, Calif., www.bnpparibasopen.com. 2012 champions: Roger Federer, Victoria Azarenka, Marc Lopez-Rafael Nadal, Liezel Huber-Lisa Raymond.

   April 26-28 -- Big Sky Conference men's and women's tournament, Gold River Racquet Club, Gold River, Calif., www.bigskyconf.com.

SATA offers alternative to USTA

   Want to play in a Sacramento-area league for as little as $8 a season?
   The Sacramento Area Tennis Association (SATA) might be for you.
   SATA was founded more than 60 years ago as a non-profit organization to promote the sport in the region. Its membership include 29 private clubs and parks within 40 miles of the State Capitol. About 3,000 tennis enthusiasts regularly participate in SATA leagues, tournaments and tennis-related events throughout the year, according to president Carol Rose.
   Clubs and public parks pay $75 a year to join SATA. Participants must be club or park members, and teams pay $80 per season.
   "If there are 10 players, that's $8 apiece," Rose said. "There are five to eight matches per season. It's pretty cheap entertainment."
   Rose noted that a one-year adult membership to the USTA costs $44 (three-year and five-year memberships are discounted) and that total fees per player, including team costs, "can easily be $100 a year."
   She also cited less travel and most consistent scheduling as advantages of SATA over the USTA. SATA participants travel no more than 40 miles from the Capitol and play on the same night each week, except during the winter flex season.
   "In USTA, they say, 'You have to play within this week,' " Rose said.
   One disadvantage, Rose said, is that "teams can go further in USTA. There are no sections in SATA. Some people like that. Sections means traveling, which gets to be expensive."
   Also, most tournaments require USTA membership. Rose said SATA probably will not offer tournaments next year because of insufficient interest.
   SATA isn't just for adults. The Junior Grand Prix offers tournaments for boys and girls 10 through 18, and standings are compiled.
   "It's an opportunity for kids just getting started to play competitively," Rose said.
   SATA participants, Rose added, donate used equipment and clothing to needy high schools and hit with their players.
   For more information on SATA, visit www.sactennis.org.