After losing four of its last five matches, the UW men’s tennis team has a chance to redeem itself this Thursday facing No. 3 Illinois.
Coming off a disheartening loss to Purdue Sunday, the Badgers enter their much-anticipated matchup against Illinois with an 8-8 overall record and a 2-4 Big Ten mark.
Last weekend’s loss at Purdue put the Badgers in a precarious situation with regard to making the NCAA tournament.
With their final four matches occurring within a 10-day span, the Badgers will have to get back on track in a hurry if they hope to make the tournament field. The team closes out the Big Ten season against the Illini, No. 37 Northwestern, Iowa and No. 20 Minnesota.
“We’re probably going to have to have a really good Big Ten tournament [to make the NCAA tournament],” said head coach Pat Klingelhoets at his press conference Monday. “Fortunately, I think the potential is there to do that.”
The team’s biggest problem this season has been the play of their No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams. The loss by the No. 3 team against Purdue is what ultimately cost UW the match.
After having triple match point, the team of Justin Baker and David Hippe couldn’t manage the victory. The one constant the Badgers have held all year in doubles is the play of No. 1 doubles team Scott Green and Scott Rutherford. They have compiled a record of 11-4 and have been working hard to help the team win the crucial doubles point that has been slipping through its hands all year.
“The last two weeks we’ve been working real hard outside,” Rutherford said. “It helps us out to be playing on outdoor courts.”
With the weather improving, this week’s match against Illinois will most likely be played outdoors. This bodes well for the Badgers, who are more suited for the slower-paced game of an outdoor match.
Illinois is big and hits the ball hard, but the outdoor elements will likely counteract the team’s power game. Patient play will be key to netting a victory over the Illini, Rutherford said.
Combined with a doubles point, the Badgers will need a few upset victories in singles to defeat the Illini. One victory that has become commonplace this season is the one provided by senior captain and top-25 player Danny Westerman.
“He’s just a tremendous competitor,” Klingelhoets said. “The guy just does not want to lose to anybody.”
Westerman admits as much and has tried to help the team get back to its winning ways.
He credits Klingelhoets with building the skills he has needed to win over the last four years, saying the key to winning is Klingelhoets’ work mentality and simply having fun.
“In our losses we’re getting our heads down,” Westerman said. “[Now] we’re trying to get our heads up and have a little more fun.”
Half of the team is seniors, and the Badgers will need a blend of senior leadership and youthful energy to beat the third-ranked Illini today.
Sophomores Scott Green and Alexander Kasarov will be called upon to not only contribute this week, but also to lead the team next season.
Paired with Scott Rutherford, Green provided the power to lift the doubles team to its lofty record. Last season the duo beat the top-ranked pair in the nation, so the role of underdog is not new to them.
“He leads by example — he’s not the most vocal guy,” Rutherford said of Green. “He just goes out there and hustles, and I think it wears off on the rest of the team.”
Klingelhoets ended practice Tuesday with an inspirational speech, telling his players he believes they can win. But, he said, they must believe in themselves if they are to have any shot at victory.
A win against highly favored Illinois today may be just what this team needs to turn a mediocre season into a success and make the NCAAs.
