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Gophers set to host Badgers in Border Battle
3/4/2021 2:00:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Newly-ranked Minnesota will square off against Wisconsin for 128th time.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The 47th-ranked University of Minnesota men's tennis team is set to host Wisconsin on Saturday, March 6 for a Border Battle showdown at Baseline Tennis Center. The match will be the 128th meeting between the two programs.
The last time the Gophers (1-3) saw the Badgers in dual play was March 8, 2019 in which the Maroon and Gold earned the 5-2 victory, securing head coach Geoff Young's 200th career victory.
The "U" also saw Wisconsin earlier this season at the Badger Invitational. The Gophers finished the tournament, which was played under a hidden dual format, with a singles record of 3-5 and a doubles record of 2-2 against Badger competitors.
Setting the Stage:
The Gophers showed vast improvement in the home-opening weekend, in which they split their two matches against two-ranked opponents.
Minnesota first hosted No. 24 Northwestern, in which the Gophers secured the 4-3 upset victory, being lead by Jackson Allen, who got the upset victory over No. 58 Dominik Stary, as well as Sebastian Vile, who secured the upset with a marathon, three-set win. The Maroon & Gold then squared off against No. 8 Illinois, in which they fell 5-2, although the score did not represent how close the match really was, as two three-set battles involving Vlad Loabak and Dylan Heap unfortunately fell the Illini's way.
After the weekend's performance, Minnesota earned the No. 47 ranking in this week's ITA team rankings, it's first appearance in the polls since March 10, 2020, where they appeared at No. 37.
Tale of the Tape - The Badgers:
The Badgers (1-4) have struggled to start the year, including last weekend in which they also played Illinois and Northwestern, dropping both matches. The team is lead by Leonard Soha, Jesper Friermuth, and Robin Parts, who all lead the squad in singles wins with five.
The Gophers have seen success as of late against their cross-border rivals, proving victorious in the last four meetings. Minnesota also holds the all-time series lead, with a record of 68-56-3.
How to Follow Along:
Follow along on Twitter at @GopherMTennis for live updates throughout the weekend, and look for a recap following this weekend's action on GopherSports.com.