Notes & Quotes: Michigan 5, Northwestern 2
4/8/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 8, 2012
N O T E S
• With today's win, Michigan improved to 68-27-1 in the all-time series against Northwestern. U-M has won the last 11 meetings against the Wildcats.
• The Wolverines boast a four-match winning streak and have won nine of their last 10 matches. U-M is also 6-2 in road matches this season.
• Michigan has won the doubles point in 12 of 17 dual matches this season, combining for a 31-18 doubles record in dual competition.
• Junior Evan King has won 15 of his last 16 singles matches.
• Sophomore Alex Petrone is 3-1 against ranked opposition this season.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Bruce Berque
On today's match ... "It looked a little scary for a bit. We got a strong start, but we lost a couple second sets, and it looked like it could turn the other way. It's pretty rare that you can jump on a team and stay on top of them unless it's a clear and significant difference between the teams. With most teams you play, the match could go either way, but fortunately for us, our guys are really growing as a team in the way they compete and how to keep fighting. They weathered the storm and really picked it up. The key for us was Alex Buzzi and Barrett Franks getting quick starts in their third sets, and that really swung the momentum in our favor quickly."
On freshman Alex Petrone ... "I think Alex has been pretty comfortable from the outset. With most freshmen, it takes them a little while to get their feet wet and figure out what it's all about, but he was comfortable from the beginning and has only been improving. He's just a mature competitor and a hard worker who seems to thrive in this type of environment. He's playing good tennis, so his confidence is building. Like so many sports, confidence is a big part of it. We needed him to step up, and he's been huge for us."
On the doubles sweep ... "In the fall, Mark [Merklein] and I knew we had a lot of work to do to improve our skills in doubles. The guys worked hard in the fall, and we were fortunate that the first teams we tried really clicked. All three teams are different, and their skills complement each other well. Our doubles play has been a real positive for us, especially lately as we're just getting better. We've won four doubles points against four good teams in a row, and today was one of our best performances -- not just because we won all three, but the level of play and competiveness on all three courts was great."
