"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.