MANHATTAN - One of the most prestigious tennis tournaments, the Riviera/All American Championship, begins this weekend in Los Angeles and the Kansas State women’s team will be represented by two Wildcats. Senior and preseason ITA number 105 Maria Rosenberg and junior Jessica Simosa will participate in the Riviera in both singles and doubles play.

“The Riviera, behind the NCAA Championships, is the most important tournament of the season based on the strength of the field and the tradition of the event,” said head coach Steve Bietau. “We will see the cream of the crop in women’s tennis this weekend.”

Played at the world famous Riviera Tennis Club since 1988, the tournament includes 128 players in the pre-qualifying, where only four players reach the qualifying round. The qualifying round features 64 players, who are playing for four spots in the 32 player field main draw. The main draw is composed of the nation’s returning All-Americans and the top players from the six regions of the country.

The task of advancing to the qualifying round will be daunting for Rosenberg and Simosa, but a Wildcat has achieved this feat in the past. Karina Kuregian advanced through the pre-qualifying round in 1994, her freshman season, and reached the quarterfinal round of the main draw.

“The pre-qualifying round is an interesting animal,” mentioned Bietau. “There are so many strong new players, who are not only fighting to compete, but to get in.”

Rosenberg and Simosa opened the fall campaign last weekend at the Ole Miss Fall Classic. Rosenberg posted a 1-2 singles record and a 2-1 doubles mark with freshman Olga Klimova. Simosa registered a 2-2 singles record and 4-0 doubles record with senior Judith Diaz. Rosenberg and Simosa have a career doubles record of 8-8 and will play together for the first time this fall. Bietau believes the record does not indicate where his players currently stand.

“They have played together before, but they were different players at that time. We will use this opportunity to see how they look now.”