TEMPE, Ariz. (September 18) – The Oracle ITA Masters men’s and women’s finals will air live on ESPN3 and be re-broadcast on ESPNU, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association announced on Wednesday.
The Oracle ITA Masters is scheduled for Sept. 26-29 at the Malibu Racquet Club and Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. The finals are scheduled for Sept. 29 at the Malibu Racquet Club with the women’s final beginning at 11:30 a.m. (PT) and the men’s championship following at 1:30 p.m. (PT).
ESPNU will re-air the finals on Oct. 1 (women) and Oct. 2 (men) beginning at 1 p.m. PT both days. The 2019 Oracle ITA Masters marks the second consecutive year that ESPN will broadcast the finals to a national audience.
Now in its fifth year, the Oracle ITA Masters features the country’s top NCAA Division I players in 32-player men’s and women’s singles draws and is the only collegiate event to showcase a mixed-doubles draw. Invitations are sent based on conference affiliation, with each conference having the opportunity to send its top returning player. Mixed doubles are paired based on conference affiliation and at-large selections.
Seven of the Top 25 men’s players in the 2019-20 Oracle ITA Division I Preseason national rankings are scheduled to compete, including USC’s Daniel Cukierman (No. 8), Jack Lin (Columbia; No. 9), Carlos Aguilar (Texas A&M; No. 13), Matias Soto (Baylor; No. 14), Hady Habib (Texas A&M; No. 16), Keegan Smith (UCLA; No. 20) and Alex Brown (Illinois; No. 23).
The tournament will also feature five top 25 women’s players, including University of Georgia junior and 2019 ITA National Player of the Year Katarina Jokic (No. 1), Alexa Graham (North Carolina; No. 4), Jada Hart (UCLA; No. 9), Ashley Lahey (Pepperdine; No. 14) and Asuka Kawaii (Illinois; No. 20).
The men’s and women’s singles champions earn automatic entry into the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships slated for Nov. 6-10 in Newport Beach, Calif.
About the Intercollegiate Tennis Association
The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) is committed to serving college tennis and returning the leaders of tomorrow. As the governing body of college tennis, the ITA oversees men’s and women’s varsity tennis at NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College divisions. The ITA administers a comprehensive awards and rankings program for men’s and women’s varsity players, coaches and teams in all divisions, providing recognition for their accomplishments on and off the court. For more information on the ITA, visit the ITA website at www.itatennis.com, like the ITA on Facebook or follow @ITA_Tennis on Twitter and Instagram.
