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UW concludes fall slate at Big Tens

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Also by Stephen Watson:

UW concludes fall slate at Big Tens (November 9, 2007)
UW seniors Mehlhaff, DeBauche get final kicks in (November 8, 2007)

by Stephen Watson

Friday, November 9, 2007

"We don't feel like any team is better than us. We feel as though we are as good as or better than any team in the conference."

This is the attitude surrounding the 2007-08 men's tennis team, voiced by assistant coach Evan Austin as it heads into the Big Ten Indoor Championships this weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich., concluding the fall and, essentially, exhibition season.

In its latest warm-up, the five-day long ITA Regional in Minneapolis, three Badgers reached the quarterfinals — seniors Jeremy Sonkin and Nolan Polley and sophomore Moritz Baumann — and the tandem of Sonkin and Luke Rassow-Kantor reached the semifinals. It was arguably Wisconsin’s best performance this fall.

Last year, the Badgers' tennis team had one of their best seasons in the program’s history, finishing No. 32 nationally and fourth in the Big Ten with a 16-11 record. They beat eight ranked opponents throughout the season.

Looking ahead to the spring season, however, the team will face a difficult road. It will play 14 teams from the FILA Collegiate Tennis Rankings. Out of those ranked teams, eight of them come from the Big Ten, including last year's Big Ten champion, No. 3 Ohio State.

"It's going to be physical and every match is going to be a grind for us," Austin said. "We have to prepare now to get the mindset that every match is going to be tough, and if you take a day off, then you are going to lose."
So what makes this team different from the previous few seasons? Coach Austin described it in one word: leadership.

Led by Sonkin and Polley, the diverse Badger lineup is one of intimidation and diligence.
"The whole dynamic with the team has really changed. In previous years, the attitude was in no way like the team we have this year," Sonkin said. "The guys are ready to go that extra length to be where we should be.

"We are going to be a dangerous threat to any team in the country."

Sonkin and Polley are both previous MVPs of the team and have had great success at singles in both the Big Ten and NCAA. Polley concluded the season ranked No. 101. Also, Baumann came out of nowhere to make a name for himself by finishing at No. 49. His ranking placed him among the top five in the nation for freshmen.

"A lot of our focus has been getting the guys on the same page," Sonkin said. "Knowing that we are strong in our singles and doubles, our team has been able to bring a lot of really great aspects to every practice and we have been working to get the best out of every practice we have."

The official season doesn’t open up until Jan. 26 against UW-Green Bay at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium, but Sonkin and company are already eagerly anticipating its arrival. They have high expectations, despite having never gotten past the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament in school history, and want to put them to the test.

"Anything less than the quarterfinals in the NCAA tournament and No. 1 or 2 in the Big Ten would be a disappointment with the talent on this team," Polley said.

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