University of Minnesota Athletics
Dehn Advances to Big Ten Indoor Semifinals
10/31/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Junior Julian Dehn won two more matches on Sunday at the Big Ten Indoor Championships to advance to the semifinals. The tournament, which began on Friday with doubles play and ends on Monday with the singles final, is being hosted by Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich. The majority of matches are being held at Michigan State's indoor tennis facility, while some select matches are being played at the Michigan Athletic Club.
Dehn won two three-set thrillers on Saturday to advance to the round of 16 of the 64-player field and then grinded out two straight set wins on Sunday to advance to the final four.
On Saturday, Dehn rallied to beat Illinois' Brian Alden 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 and then beat No. 12 seed Billy Bertha of Wisconsin 6-7, 6-4, 6-4. He continued his winning ways on Sunday with a 7-6 (8), 6-4 victory against seventh-seed Josh MacTaggart of Indiana and then landed a spot in the semifinals after dispatching Isade Juneau of Indiana 7-6 (2), 7-5.
The unseeded Dehn will meet No. 10 seed Peter Kobelt from Ohio State in the semifinals at 9 a.m. on Monday. The winner will advance to the 12 p.m. final. Kobelt knocked out Dehn's teammate Brendan Ruddock 6-1, 6-4 in the third round.
Junior Michael Sicora joined Dehn and Ruddock in the round of 16 after two wins on Saturday, but fell 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday to No. 13 seed Denis Bogatov of Michigan State.
Senior Derek Peterson and juniors Phillip Arndt and Eddie Svenda also competed in the event but failed to advance to Sunday play.
Last week the Gophers competed in the ITA Central Regional Championships in Norman, Okla. The team completes fall play at the Nov. 12-14 Lakewood Ranch Intercollegiate Clay Court Classic in Miami, Fla.
Players Mentioned
