With a 4-0 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Team Championship quarterfinals in Michigan Friday, the University of Wisconsin men’s tennis team closed out the end of its spring season.
Wisconsin finished with an 8-15 record overall and a 3-9 mark in Big Ten competition while the Buckeyes improved their record to 23-3 on the season and 11-1 in the Big Ten.
Ohio State captured the doubles point during the first phase of the match. Top pair Jeremy Wurtzman and Joey Atas defeated Wisconson’s Alex Kasarov and David Hippee, 8-3. At the No. 2 spot, OSU’s Scott Green and Ross Wilson took down UW’s Scott Green and Pete Amundson, 8-3.
With the doubles point already secured, the teams abandoned the No. 3 doubles matchup between Badgers Ward Bortz and Mark Weinig and Ohio State’s Dennis Martens and Brenton Contini. The set was tied 6-6 when it was called.
In singles competition, the Buckeyes registered three points early to determine the match. At the No. 4 spot, Devin Mullings topped UW’s Bortz, 6-3, 6-3.
OSU’s Wilson defeated Weinig 6-3, 6-2 at the No. 5 spot, as Martens took down Wisconsin’s Amundson, 6-3, 6-3 at No. 6.
As the match result was already determined and in the interest of time, No. 1, 2, 3 singles matches did not finish.
The Badgers dropped out of the tournament with the loss and concluded their spring dual season. If selected to compete in the NCAA Championships, Wisconsin will send players to Tulsa, Okla., May 14-16.
Wisconsin women’s tennis squad loses heartbreaker
The No. 5-seeded Wisconsin women’s tennis team fell to the No. 4-seeded Michigan squad Friday, ending the Badgers 2003-04 season.
The 4-3 loss left the Badger record at 13-11 overall and 6-4 in the Big Ten Conference while the Wolverines improved to 16-5, 6-4 in the Big Ten.
In the opening round of play, Michigan grabbed a quick 8-1 win from UW’s Kaylan Caiati and Shana McElroy. Firing back, the No. 57-ranked duo of Katie McGaffigan and Lindsay Martin evened the score with an upset of No. 38 Michelle DaCosta and Kara Delicata, 8-5. With the first point in the balance, Teresa Gonzaga and Caitlin Burke prevailed in a 9-8 (6-4) thriller over Kim Plaushines and Debra Streifler.
McGaffigan executed another upset in singles, just second off the courts in a 6-2, 6-1 rout over No. 49 Michelle DaCosta at the one slot. First off the courts was newcomer Kaylan Caiati with a win over Leanne Rutherford, 6-3, 6-1.
With three points in their column, the Badgers needed just one more win to advance to the next round. The Wolverines were not going to give up without a fight and claimed the next three matches at the six, four and two. Down to the final match, Burke vs. Kavitha Tipirneni, Burke submitted in the first frame after a three-game rally from 5-2 to leave the score 7-5. With Wisconsin leading 3-0 in the second set, Tipirneni powered out enough games to win the match and squeak out a victory for Michigan.
The Badgers’ heartbreaking loss eliminated them from the tournament and concluded their spring dual season. If selected to compete in the NCAA tournament, Wisconsin will compete at regional campus locations, May 14-16.
–compiled from staff reports
