University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Set For Nationally-Ranked Big Ten Foes
3/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Two nationally ranked opponents await the Minnesota men’s tennis team this weekend as the Gophers travel east for a pair of Big Ten matches.
Minnesota, which is 13-3 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten, will take on 53rd-ranked Penn State on Friday and then face sixth-ranked Ohio State on Sunday. The Gophers are ranked 27th in the nation and Sunday’s match with the Buckeyes will be their highest-ranked opponent of the season.
Minnesota got off to a strong start in Big Ten play last weekend with a 4-3 win over Michigan and a 6-1 victory over Michigan State. The Gophers’ top two singles players, Ishay Hadash and Tobias Wernet have each won three straight matches. Dino Bilankov has also posted three consecutive wins for the Gophers. Hadash is ranked 62nd in the country in the latest rankings.
Hadash and Wernet will be tested on Sunday with matches against two of the nation’s top eight players as Ohio State’s Bryan Koniecko is ranked third and Steven Monecke is ranked eighth. The Buckeyes are currently 17-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten. They have won nine straight matches since their only loss of the season to Tennessee. All six of Ohio State’s players are in the national rankings. Penn State brings an 8-7 overall record and 1-1 mark into the weekend.
Minnesota hopes to improve its road record this weekend as the Gophers have been outstanding at home with an 11-0 mark at the Baseline Tennis Center, but just a 1-3 mark on opponents’ home courts.
Overall, the Gophers have won 66.0 percent of their singles matches this season, including a 74.0 percent clip since dual match play began in January. Wernet leads the Gophers with a 19-6 record for the year, while Hadash is 15-7 overall and Sebastian Gallego is 19-8.
Friday’s match starts at 3 p.m. (eastern time) and Sunday’s match is at noon (eastern time).
Players Mentioned
