Sept. 1, 2011

DAVIS, Calif. - Christina Fusano, a 2003 NCAA doubles champion who will play mixed doubles this week at the U.S. Open, has agreed to join the nationally ranked UC Davis women's tennis team as an assistant coach, head coach Bill Maze announced on Thursday.

Fusano, who played collegiately at Cal, won the 2003 NCAA Division I doubles title with teammate Raquel Kops-Jones before later embarking on a professional career which has seen her win 11 USTA Pro Circuit doubles titles while enjoying a career-high worldwide ranking of No. 84 in 2008. She's previously played at the U.S. Open and also Wimbledon during her career.

Fusano, will join mixed doubles partner David Martin, a Stanford graduate, at this week's U.S. Open in Flushing, N.Y., after the pair won the inaugural U.S. Open National Playoffs last week in Connecticut. They qualified for that 14-team event after winning the USTA Southern section title in July.

Fusano also played with the Sacramento Capitals of the World Team Tennis Pro League this summer.

She had a standout career at Cal from 1999-2003, posting more than 200 combined singles and doubles wins, including a 37-10 doubles mark during her senior season when she captured her national championship. Fusano also earned Academic All-America honorable mention and Pac-10 All-Academic accolades while at Cal and was a Pac-10 doubles champion as a junior.

"We're incredibly lucky to get Christina on our staff," said 17th-year head coach Bill Maze. "She brings incredible playing experience to our program. Christina is very personable and will also bring great leadership to our team."

Fusano will join a UC Davis program that finished the 2011 season ranked 60th nationally. The Aggies were 17-7 overall and 6-2 in the Big West Conference which included a win over defending league champion UC Irvine in February.

UC Davis will open the fall portion of its season on Sept. 30 at the Cal Invitational.