University of Minnesota Athletics
Schwark Pulls Upset But Gophers' Comeback Falls Short
2/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Senior Raoul Schwark knocked off the nation’s 16th-ranked player, but it wasn’t enough to carry the Minnesota men’s tennis team to victory on Sunday in a 4-3 home loss to Drake.
Schwark, ranked 46th nationally, dropped his opening set to Drake’s Dalibor Pavic in a tiebreaker by a 7-5 score. However, he rolled through the next two sets by 6-2 scores for the victory.
Schwark’s win helped Minnesota’s attempt to rally from a 3-0 deficit, however, it fell short in the final match when Drake’s Maor Zirkin held off Sebastian Gallego 7-6, 6-4 at No. 2 singles.
Drake took two of three doubles matches for the decisive doubles point. Schwark and Chi Pham posted Minnesota’s lone win with an 8-4 decision at No. 2.
After the Gophers lost the first two singles matches, Adam Altepeter began the comeback attempt with a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 6 and Dino Bilankov followed with a 7-5, 6-1 victory at No. 3.
Minnesota is now 1-4 for the season and plays its next six matches on the road, including two matches next weekend in Tucson, Ariz.
Men’s Tennis Feb. 10, 2008
Drake 4, Minnesota 3
Doubles
1. Dalibor Pavic/Maor Zirkin (Drake) def. Dino Bilankov/Derek Peterson 8-1
2. Raoul Schwark/Chi Pham (Minn.) def. Ricardo Lau/Bokang Setshogo 8-4
3. Mauricio Ballivian/Ivan Mendoza (Drake) def. Adam Altepeter/Sebastian Gallego 8-6
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
Singles
1. #46 Schwark (Minn.) def. #16 Pavic 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2
2. Zirkin (Drake) def. Gallego 7-6 (5), 6-4
3. Bilankov (Minn.) def. Lau 7-5, 6-1
4. Ballivian (Drake) def. Pierre Dumas 6-3, 6-2
5. Setshogo (Drake) def. Pham 6-3, 7-5
6. Altepeter (Minn.) def. Mendoza 6-4, 6-4
Order of finish: 4, 5, 3, 6, 1, 2
Minnesota ranked #52, Drake ranked #53 in national rankings
Players Mentioned
