The Wisconsin men’s tennis team (2-4, 0-1 Big Ten) hopes to bounce back from last weekend’s pair of road defeats as they attempt to tame the Butler Bulldogs (4-8, 0-0 Horizon League) Saturday at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

The teams have not met since the Eisenhower administration, when the Badgers trounced the Bulldogs 8-0 (the “best of seven” dual system was not adopted until 1993) April 11, 1955.

Coming into the match, the Badgers are recovering from close losses to Ball State and Big Ten opponent No. 39 Northwestern, suffered last weekend during the team’s first road trip of the season.

“We were a little disappointed with the way we played last weekend,” head coach Pat Klingelhoets said. “We played singles against Ball State well, but the doubles didn’t have intensity, and when you’re on the road you’ve got to bring your own intensity.”

The six-time Horizon Conference champion Bulldogs come into Madison on the spirit of a convincing two-game win streak against Indianapolis, 6-1, and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, 7-0. Head coach Jason Suscha’s Bulldogs went 6-for-6 in doubles matches in the two wins, while the Badgers only took 1-of-6 over the weekend.

Despite dropping all three doubles matches in the 4-3 loss to Ball State and 2-of-3 in the Big Ten opening 5-2 loss to Northwestern, Klingelhoets remains optimistic about the upcoming match.

“First, we have to play better doubles and establish ourselves early,” Klingelhoets said. “We need to put more of an emphasis on (doubles) than we did last weekend, and hopefully the momentum will carry into the singles.”

Sophomore James Low, Butler’s No. 1 singles player, is on a four-match win streak, and has produced a 12-7 record thus far. Low has also been a force in the Bulldogs’ ever-changing doubles combinations. His pairing with No. 3 singles player Parker Ross has generated a 3-3 record so far this season.

Butler’s No. 2 singles player, junior Andy Bartish, is 8-6 on the season and is currently enjoying a three-match win streak. The No. 1 double pairing of Bartish and freshman Eric Breitenbach has also rendered a 3-3 record.

Wisconsin’s No. 2 doubles team of juniors Jordan Raemisch and Mark Weinig currently boast a 6-3 record, and will look to return to their winning ways following consecutive losses to Ball State and Northwestern. Brothers Alex and Lachezar Kasarov will also seek to uplift their No. 1 doubles status following a winless weekend.

After splitting his No. 1 singles matches last weekend, senior captain Alex Kasarov hopes to maintain his aggressive play.

“I’m playing alright,” Kasarov said. “I think there has been lots of improvement, and I’m playing much better now. I’ve had a couple of close matchups, and I’ve just got to move on and look towards the rest of the season.”

Coach Klingelhoets has also expressed his enthusiasm with the way Kasarov has been playing, and has praised the fine play of freshman phenom Jeremy Sonkin.

“Alex (Kasarov) is really starting to play well now, and Jeremy (Sonkin) has picked his game up to a whole new level,” Klingelhoets said. “(Sonkin) is really playing tough, and he is showing a lot of skill.”

The Badgers will depend on the strong play of No. 2 Sonkin, who is 12-8 on the season and has won his last four matches, including the clinching victory over DePaul. Sonkin and fellow freshman Felipe Bellido, who won both his singles matches over the weekend, will try to energize the team and set the tone.

“I think everybody’s ready to go,” Kasarov said. “We’ve had a good week of practice, and we’re prepared to go out there and get a win.”

For both teams, the match is important as the conference seasons are just beginning, and gaining momentum is key. With their conference opener against UW-Green Bay on the horizon, Butler will be trying to build their record with a big win.

Butler and Wisconsin both faced the DePaul Blue Demons in early February with opposite results — the Bulldogs lost 6-1 while the Badgers grabbed a 4-3 victory. Despite the outcome difference, coach Klingelhoets is keeping his focus on staying composed and playing tough.

“Butler’s a decent team,” Klingelhoets said. “I mean, realistically, we’re favored, but we still have to show up and play, and hopefully we can come out on top.”