Michigan
Wisconsin
Michigan Prevails Against Wisconsin in Marathon Match
3/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Score: #14 Michigan 5, Wisconsin 2
Records: U-M (12-2, 3-0 Big Ten), Wisconsin (9-7, 1-1 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Monday, March 24 -- at Penn State (State College, Pa.), 1 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 14-ranked University of Michigan men's tennis team extended its winning streak to six matches with an important 5-2 victory over No. 48-ranked Wisconsin Friday evening (March 21) at the Varsity Tennis Center. In a match that lasted nearly four hours and had five of the six singles matches go to three sets, the Wolverines (12-2, 3-0 Big Ten) came out on top in doubles and secured singles wins at the bottom three positions to wrap up the team victory.
Michigan's No. 56-ranked doubles tandem of junior Andrew Mazlin(Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) and Chris Madden(Lotus, Calif./Ponderosa HS) broke Michael Dierberger and Luke Rassow-Kantor's serve in the opening game at No. 3 and rode the momentum throughout the remainder of the match to claim an 8-3 victory. Madden and Mazlin hold a team-best 11-2 dual-match record and have won 15 of 19 overall.
Sophomore Mike Sroczynski(Chatham, N.J./Laurel Springs School) and freshman Jason Jung(Torrance, Calif./West Torrance HS) were victorious for the sixth time in seven tries, posting an 8-5 win over Marek Michalicka and Jeremy Sonkin at No. 2 to clinch U-M's 11th doubles point of the season. Sroczynski and Jung boast a team-best 17-3 overall record in 2007-08.
The Wolverines fell a couple points shy of wrapping up the doubles sweep, as Moritz Baumann and Nolan Polley made a late charge to knock off Michigan's No. 20-ranked duo of senior Matko Maravic(Zagreb, Croatia/V. Gimnazija) and sophomore George Navas(Tampa, Fla./Tampa Preparatory School) at No. 1. The U-M pair held a 7-6 advantage but was unable to break Baumann and Polley's serve, and the Badger pair went on to take the following two games to steal the victory.
Junior Peter Aarts(Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane HS) clinched his first career 20-win singles campaign with a 6-3, 7-6(4) defeat of Felipe Bellido at No. 5, giving Michigan a 2-0 advantage. Aarts has compiled a remarkable 20-5 overall record, including an 8-2 mark in dual-match play.
After Wisconsin narrowed the gap to 2-1 with a three-set triumph at No. 2, Madden stepped up and completed a 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-2 comeback win over Rassow-Kantor at No. 6 to bring the Wolverines within one point of clinching their fifth straight victory over the Badgers. Madden has won five straight and holds a solid 9-2 record in dual-match action.
Another gutsy U-M effort sealed the deal, as Mazlin battled back to earn a 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0 decision over Sonkin at No. 4 to give Michigan a 4-1 lead. Mazlin holds a team-best six-match winning streak and carries an impressive 11-2 dual-match mark.
Maravic, ranked 61st nationally in singles, outlasted No. 44-ranked Baumann by a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 score at No. 1 to give the Wolverines their fifth and final team point. Maravic has been victorious in eight of his last 10 outings.
The Wolverines continue Big Ten Conference play on Monday (March 24) when they travel to State College, Pa., to take on Penn State. The match is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start at the Sarni Tennis Center.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #61 Matko Maravic (U-M) d. #44 Moritz Baumann, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
No. 2 -- #99 Nolan Polley (Wisconsin) d. Mike Sroczynski, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
No. 3 -- #120 Marek Michalicka (Wisconsin) d. #124 Jason Jung, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4)
No. 4 -- Andrew Mazlin (U-M) d. Jeremy Sonkin, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0
No. 5 -- Peter Aarts (U-M) d. Felipe Bellido, 6-3, 7-6(4)
No. 6 -- Chris Madden (U-M) d. Luke Rassow-Kantor, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 -- Baumann/Polley (Wisconsin) d. #20 Maravic/Navas, 9-7
No. 2 -- #21 Jung/Sroczynski (U-M) d. Michalicka/Sonkin, 8-5
No. 3 -- #56 Madden/Mazlin (U-M) d. Michael Dierberger/Rassow-Kantor, 8-3
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-2-1, Singles 5-2-6-4-3-1
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
