University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Finish Second in Big Ten Tournament
5/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
The University of Minnesota men's tennis team played in the Big Ten championship match for the first time since 2003 when they met third-ranked Ohio State today at the at the Neilsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wis.
The third-seeded and 19th-ranked Gophers fell to the high-powered Buckeyes 4-0 to finish second. Ohio State's lineup boasted six ranked players in singles and two ranked teams in doubles.
Minnesota will find out who and where it will play in the NCAA tournament at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday when the selection show airs on NCAA.org.
The Buckeyes went up 1-0 when they won the doubles point by taking matches at the first and third positions. The 18th-ranked tandem of Matt Allare and Peter Kobelt prevailed 8-5 against No. 67 Phillip Arndt and Sebastian Gallego at first doubles. Tobias Wernet and Juan Pablo Ramirez lost 8-4 to Blaz Rola and Balazs Novak at the third slot.
Chase Buchanan and Shuhei Uzawa, who are ranked 82nd, were leading Rok Bonin and Julian Dehn 7-4 at No. 2 doubles. Bonin and Dehn, who were 8-0 this season against Big Ten competition (includes two wins in Big Ten tournament), defeated Buchanan and Uzawa 8-4 on April 17 at Baseline Tennis Center.
Ohio State won matches at first, second and third singles before the Gophers could put any pressure on the regular-season champion. Arndt, Brendan Ruddock and Dehn all won their first sets, but their matches at third, fourth and fifth singles, respectively, were abandoned after Ohio State clinched the 4-0 win.
Then Buckeyes made it 2-0 when tenth-ranked Buchanan defeated No. 66 Wernet 6-1, 6-2 at No. 1 singles. Wernet, who beat No. 10 Dennis Nevolo of Illinois of April 22, was unable to pull the upset this time.
Gallego, who has recently battled through an injury to return to the lineup, fell 6-2, 6-4 to the 105th-ranked Ille Van Engelen at third singles as Ohio Sate built a 3-0 lead.
Ohio State won the championship when Big Ten Freshman of the Year and third-ranked Rola posted a 6-1, 6-4 win against Bonin at the second position.
The Big Ten Network will televise Sunday's match on tape delay on Saturday, May 7, at 5 p.m.
Big Ten tournament final
May 1, 2011 • Nielsen Tennis Stadium Madison, Wis.
No. 3 Ohio State 4,
No. 19 Minnesota 0
Singles Competition
1. No. 10 Chase Buchanan (OSU) def. No. 66 Tobias Wernet (MINN) 6-1, 6-2
2. No. 3 Blaz Rola (OSU) def. Rok Bonin (MINN) 6-1, 6-4
3. No. 105 Ille Van Engelen (OSU) def. Sebastian Gallego (MINN) 6-2, 6-4
4. Phillip Arndt (MINN) vs. No. 47 Matt Allare (OSU) 7-5, 1-4, abandoned
5. Brendan Ruddock (MINN) vs. No. 98 Balazs Novak (OSU) 6-2, 4-6, abandoned
6. Julian Dehn (MINN) vs. No. 74 Devin McCarthy (OSU) 7-6, 3-4, abandoned
Doubles Competition
1. No. 18 Matt Allare/Peter Kobelt (OSU) def. No. 67 Phillip Arndt/Sebastian Gallego (MINN) 8-5
2. No. 82 Chase Buchanan/Shuhei Uzawa (OSU) vs. Rok Bonin/Julian Dehn (MINN) 7-4 abandoned
3. Blaz Rola/Balazs Novak (OSU) def. Tobias Wernet/Juan Pablo Ramirez (MINN) 8-4
Match Notes

-Ohio State 30-2, 10-0 Big Ten National ranking No. 3
-Minnesota 19-5, 8-2 Big Ten; National ranking No. 19

-Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (1,3,2)

Players Mentioned
