Weekly Release #12
4/10/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Wednesday, April 11 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 6 p.m.
Sunday, April 15 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 10:30 a.m. CDT
Saturday, April 21 -- Indiana (Varsity Tennis Center), Noon
Sunday, April 22 -- Purdue (Varsity Tennis Center), Noon
Mid-Week Match at Michigan State; Easter Sunday at Iowa
The University of Michigan men's tennis squad (9-7, 3-3 Big Ten) will travel to East Lansing for a Wednesday evening (April 11, 6 p.m.) match against Big Ten Conference rival Michigan State at the MSU Tennis Facility. Following the match with the Spartans, the Wolverines will travel to Iowa City, Iowa, for an Easter Sunday match (April 15, 10:30 a.m. CDT) against the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Klotz Tennis Courts. Michigan looks to collect its first road win of the season (0-4 away, 0-1 neutral) this week.
100th Battle Between Michigan and Michigan State
The Wolverines and Spartans will battle on the hardcourt for the 100th time on Wednesday (April 11), with Michigan holding a commanding 82-17 series advantage. The two schools have met on the court every year since the 1919-20 season. The Wolverines have won nine straight matches against the Spartans, including a 5-2 match last year at the Varsity Tennis Center. U-M beat MSU 5-2 the previous year at the MSU Tennis Facility, and has won 15 consecutive matches in East Lansing dating back to 1970 (accurate home-away records don't exist prior to 1970).
Wolverines and Hawkeyes
This will be the 43rd meeting between the two schools. Michigan hold a commanding 38-4 advantage in the all-time series and have won seven straight against the Hawkeyes (U-M's last loss was 4-1 at the 1993 Big Ten Championship). Michigan defeated Iowa 6-1 last year at the Varsity Tennis Center, and claimed a 5-2 win the previous year in Iowa City, Iowa.
Jackson Reaches 20-Win Plateau
Freshman Anthony Jackson (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet HS) enters this week's matches after becoming the first player on this year's squad to reach the 20-win plateau in singles. Jackson leads the squad in overall singles wins (20-9), overall winning percentage (.690), dual match wins (12-4), dual match winning percentage (.750) and Big Ten Conference dual match wins (5-1) and is tied for the lead with 12 regional victories (12-6). He collected a pair of critical three-set wins last weekend, beating Penn State's Todd Stecko (4-6, 6-3, 6-2) and Ohio State's Vincent Ng (6-3, 2-6, 6-0) in the Wolverines' 4-3 victories. Jackson is also tied for the team lead with 11 overall doubles victories (11-10).
Cox Evens Record
Junior Ben Cox (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake HS) heads into the Michigan State and Iowa matches after evening his overall singles record on the season. Cox has a 13-13 overall singles mark and posted a pair of big victories in the Wolverines' wins last week. He tallied a 6-4, 6-2 win over Penn State's Steven Westhuyzen and followed that up by bettering Chris Porter of Ohio State 6-3, 7-5. Cox has compiled an 8-6 dual match record and is 4-2 against Big Ten Conference opposition.
McCain Eyes 50th Singles Win
Junior Dan McCain (Largo, Fla./Canterbury School) enters the week's action having won four of his last five singles matches. He clinched the team's 4-3 win over Ohio State, beating Adrian Bohane in three sets (7-5, 6-7, 6-4), and was an integral part of the Penn State victory with his 6-4, 6-2 win against Matt Nielsen. McCain has a 12-16 overall singles record this season but is 8-8 in dual match competition and 3-3 against Big Ten Conference foes. He needs two singles victories to reach 50 in his career (48-45 record) and is 33-26 in dual match action.
Novak Seeks 20th Singles Victory
Junior co-captain Greg Novak (Stoney Creek, Ontario/Cardinal Newman HS) heads into the Michigan State and Iowa matches two victories shy of 20 this season. Novak has an 18-17 overall singles record and is 12-12 against regional opponents. He split a pair of matches last weekend, beating Penn State's Matt Frakes (6-3, 6-3) and losing to Ohio State's Andrew Carlson (6-1, 6-2). Novak has registered a 7-9 dual match record this year and is 2-4 against Big Ten Conference opponents. In doubles, Novak has compiled a 10-13 overall record and has teamed with both Ben Cox (1-3 record) and Danny McCain (6-7) during the dual match season.
U-M Closes Out Regular Season at Home
The men's tennis squad finishes the regular season with a pair of home matches at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines host Indiana Saturday (April 21, noon) and Purdue Sunday (April 22, noon) before embarking on the 2001 Big Ten Championship (April 26-29) in Madison, Wis. U-M needs one home victory in its final two matches to set a Varsity Tennis Center mark for wins in a season (record of nine victories was set during the 1998-99 season and tied this year).
Contact: David Ablauf (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
