After a year of rebuilding, the Wisconsin men’s tennis team is eager to measure its progress against some of the nation’s strongest squads during this weekend’s Big Ten Tournament.
Play will take place all weekend on the Badgers’ home courts at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. The tournament opens Thursday for Wisconsin and five other Big Ten opponents. Seeds were given out shortly after this past weekend’s final conference match. A win against Iowa combined with a 7-0 loss to Illinois was not enough to provide the Badgers with a first-round bye, leaving them with the sixth seed. Wisconsin will face Penn State Thursday afternoon for a chance to take on No. 3 seed Minnesota Friday.
In his Monday press conference, UW head coach Greg Van Emburgh stressed how immense the excitement is this time of year for both players and fans in the Midwest.
“I know the players are looking forward to it,” Van Emburgh said. “As a tennis fan, I don’t think you’re going to get much better tennis unless you have tickets to Wimbledon or the French Open.”
With such a young team, the Big Ten Tournament atmosphere will be new to nearly half of the Badgers’ lineup. Van Emburgh has often said this year is a rebuilding one, considering Wisconsin has just as many new players as it does returners this season.
“Coming off of one of the best years in the program’s history, it’s a bit of a rebuilding year for us,” Van Emburgh said. “We have a lot of youngsters that are trying to gain a lot of experience and knowledge and get familiarized with what college tennis is all about.”
UW’s young talent is led by senior captain Marek Michalicka. Michalicka’s impressive stats from this year include an 8-2 conference record as the No. 1 singles player. He has also recorded 100 career wins as a Badger.
According to Van Emburgh, Michalicka’s leadership and talent will be nearly irreplaceable.
“Marek has been a great ambassador to the program for four years,” Van Emburgh said. “He has been not only a great tennis player, but a great person and student athlete. The younger guys have been able to follow suit.”
Having been a part of Wisconsin men’s tennis for four years, Michalicka has seen the program at its best. Last season, the Badgers were only able to make it past the first round of the Big Ten Tournament before the Ohio State Buckeyes swept them in their second match. Ohio State poses a similar threat this year, as its roster includes the nation’s No. 6 player, freshman Blaz Rola, as well as No. 12 junior Chase Buchanan.
“[Rola] might be the highest [world] ranking college player ever to compete in college tennis,” Van Emburgh said. “He is competing at two singles for them now, so that shows the depth of their team and what they are capable of.”
For Wisconsin, this weekend is about more than just protecting its home court. The Badgers are also looking ahead to the upcoming NCAA tournament. Last year, the Badgers advanced to the Sweet 16 round for the first time in program history after a win over Illinois. Van Emburgh is aware of the rarity of last season’s success but still keeps the same goal in mind.
“Those opportunities don’t present themselves all the time and I think right now we have a couple of opportunities as long as we go and take care of Penn State,” Van Emburgh said. “If we can get some substantial wins, I think we will give ourselves a chance to sneak into the tournament. It’s always been a goal for us.”
