In the final match of the Big Ten season, the Wisconsin women’s tennis squad needed to conquer two points: snap a two-match losing streak and tally a win to solidify its position in the Big Ten conference tournament next weekend. The Badgers (13-7 overall, 6-3 Big Ten) tallied the win 4-3 and did just that.
Hosting Iowa, which had beaten UW last year by the same score in Iowa City, the No. 38 Badgers solidified at least the third seed in the conference tournament. Pending Ohio State’s outcome, UW could possibly secure the second seed, granting an improved chance of continuing its season in the NCAA tournament.
Iowa (8-11, 5-4) arrived in Madison coming off a win over Minnesota that extended its win streak to three. However, the Hawkeyes’ luck ran out at Nielsen Tennis Center.
With head coach Patti Henderson knowing a revival in her team’s confidence was needed after suffering a pair of road losses at the hands of Northwestern and Illinois, the Wisconsin squad soundly responded.
“It was huge,” Henderson said. “I think our team has done a really good job. They knew what they were playing for.”
The Badgers got early victories from No. 6 singles freshman Lindsay Martin (6-3, 6-3), No. 4 singles freshman Katie McElroy (6-2, 6-4) and No. 5 singles senior Katie Dougherty (6-2, 6-4).
The three victories allowed UW, which had been ranked as high as No. 32, to pad an early 3-0 lead just one point shy of taking the match.
“It was crucial that we win so we have one less match (in the conference tourney to play),” said Dougherty. “[Winning our last home match] was very important. I was on a four-match slide, and I was hoping I might get a win.”
After the loss of the No. 1 doubles match, it was the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles teams that clinched the match point with two wins, solidifying the victory.
“They took care of business,” said the facility’s coordinator Paul Dorresteyn. “It’s a veteran squad mixed with very talented underclassmen.”
Getting victories in relative ease from the four, five and six singles players, coupled with the two double wins, UW could afford losses from the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles players.
The matches’ top two singles contests took on the manifestation of an international showcase rather than a Midwest collegiate conference gala.
UW’s German-born senior Vanessa Rauh, ranked 106th entering Sunday’s contest, faced Bulgarian native Toni Neykova in the No. 1 singles match, one that did not disappoint. Long rallies characterized the evenly matched pair with neither player giving an inch. The fatiguing match required a third set tiebreak, which ended (6-4, 5-7, 7-6 [11-9]) in favor Neykova.
No. 2 singles saw UW junior Linde Maus, hailing from Belgium, face Iowa’s German-bred Steffi Hoch. Hoch defeated Maus (6-1, 3-6, 7-5) in yet another evenly faced match that echoed reminders of the European tensions.
However, the match of the day had to be between UW’s Shana McElroy and the Hawkeyes’ Cassie Haas in a showdown versus two American sophomores. McElroy lost the first game 5-7 but rebounded 6-2 to force the third game. Moments after Rauh entered her tiebreak set, McElroy headed into hers. Literally exchanging points in the deciding tiebreak, it was Haas who gathered the win by a 7-6 (15-13) score.
“Shana was the one who was trading opportunities, and that will pay off,” stated Henderson. “She went out and was doing the right thing; she was playing to win.”
The top three singles players lost by the slimmest of margins and missed sweeping the Hawkeyes in the category. However, the Badgers were able to achieve the weekend’s two serious points.
Now carrying an improved confidence and a loftier seed in the conference tournament, hosted by Indiana University, the Badger women’s tennis unit should be able to make its first NCAA appearance since 1999 a reality.
