The Badgers will try to snatch their first win since January as they face the Marquette Golden Eagles Feb. 22 at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
The Badgers got their season off to a fast 2-0 start but have been winless in their last three matches. Although all three of their recent opponents have been ranked in the top 30, Wisconsin sits at 2-3 heading into its meeting with Marquette.
Head coach Greg Van Emburgh is confident that Wisconsin will stay positive heading into the match. His team has narrowed the gap in each of its losses since they were shut out against a talented Notre Dame squad Feb. 10.
“It seems like we’ve improved; I know we’ve improved a great deal from playing Notre Dame to now playing our last match against Georgia Tech,” Van Emburgh said. “I think we’re right on track, and I think we’re starting to play better and starting to realize that we have the potential, and we’re gaining the confidence for the match against Marquette.”
A consistent bright spot for the Badgers this season has been the play of the doubles teams. Wisconsin has secured the doubles point in four of five matches this season and is looking to translate that success into the singles matches as well.
Junior captain Billy Bertha and sophomore Fredrik Ask have been the backbone of the doubles teams, winning all five of their matches this season. The duo most recently defeated Georgia Tech’s Kevin King and Juan Spir, the No. 2 doubles team in the nation.
Ask arrived in Madison just last January from Oslo, Norway, but that has not stopped him and Bertha from accumulating victories. When questioned about the team’s success, Bertha attributed it to chemistry.
“I think we mesh well together,” Bertha said. “He’s a lefty, I’m a righty. We’re friends off the court. I think both of our games complement each other well.”
“I think we have a good chemistry on the court,” Ask added. “We have different strengths. We’ll see how far we can go.”
Although the Badgers are excelling in doubles, the opposite can be said about their singles play, as the team has recorded just two singles victories during their current three-match losing streak.
Wisconsin should be especially alert for its matchup against Marquette freshman Cameron Tehrani. The Arizona native has posted seven straight victories in singles play and currently owns a 10-4 overall record through the early part of the season.
Van Emburgh expects Wisconsin to make the most of its singles opportunities against Marquette.
“I’m really hoping that everybody comes out with a strong desire to win some singles matches tomorrow,” said Van Emburgh. “That’s the one thing we’ve been stressing a lot in our team meetings and in practices – to start finishing those singles matches when we’re in a position to win.”
Home court advantage means a lot to both teams. Both Marquette and Wisconsin are undefeated at home, but have yet to earn a win outside their respective stadiums.
Van Emburgh said playing at home should allow the Badgers to regroup after a tough weekend on the road.
“I think it’s always great to play here on your home court,” Van Emburgh said. “Obviously we were away playing a couple of away matches, so we’re glad to be back.”
Marquette should not pose as looming a threat as the previous opponents. While the Golden Eagles are 5-3 on the season, none of those wins are against ranked teams.
Playing an in-state rival may provide additional incentive for Wisconsin, especially given the team’s previous successes against Marquette. The Badgers have yet to fall to the Golden Eagles since the 2001-2002 campaign, as UW has recorded four shutouts over MU in that span of time.
Ask was not hesitant to verbalize his thoughts on his next opponent.
“We should probably try to beat them as much as possible,” Ask said. “We don’t like them too much.”
