Jan. 15, 2010

(San Francisco) - The San Francisco men's tennis team will kick off the spring 2010 season this weekend by taking a challenging road trip to Southern California. The Dons will open the season at nationally-ranked No. 17 Pepperdine Sunday before facing San Diego Tuesday.

The Dons enjoyed a strong fall season, which included hosting the inaugural Battle of the Bay Classic. During the fall campaign, USF advanced a total of seven to semifinal action and one to the final round during singles play. In doubles action, San Francisco advanced three teams to the semifinals at different events.

The highlight of the fall campaign was the first Battle of the Bay Classic, hosted by the Dons at the California Tennis Club. San Francisco's Thai Tu advanced to the semifinals of the singles bracket at the event, while the Dons' duo of Rainer Nachbauer and Will Schumacher fell in the finals of doubles action to a duo from Stanford.

Pepperdine enters the weekend as the No. 17 ranked team in the country. The Waves' roster boasts three singles players ranked in the top-100, while also featuring a doubles team that is nationally ranked.

San Diego opens the spring dual season after a second place finish at the West Coast Conference tournament last spring.