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Gophers Set for Big Ten Home Opener
3/24/2022 11:00:00 AM | Tennis
Minnesota welcomes Michigan on Friday, Michigan State on Sunday
The University of Minnesota tennis team returns to Baseline Tennis Center this weekend, as they welcome Michigan and Michigan State. The Gophers will play in Minneapolis for the first time since early February. Their eight consecutive matches on the road earned Minnesota three wins, as each of their defeats came against ranked opponents. The Gophers will look to maintain their perfect record at Baseline as they host their first pair of Big Ten opponents.
This weekend, Minnesota will oppose a ranked opponent for the third and fourth consecutive match, as seven of their eight most recent opponents have placed in the ITA top 75. Minnesota remains ranked for the fifth week in a row, as they place at No. 55. Michigan earned the No. 26 spot in the most recent poll, as Michigan State dropped to No. 70.
The Gophers take on the Wolverines at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, and host the Spartans at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.
Previous Match
Minnesota concluded their extended road trip in Evanston last Sunday as they took on Northwestern. The match ended 3-4, as they fell to the No. 39 Wildcats. The Gophers split the singles competitions three apiece, the doubles point ultimately settling the score. Rachel Hanford earned her first ranked win of the year, defeating No. 87 Clarissa Hand. On the previous Friday, Minnesota was unable to break their streak of losses in Champaign, as the Illini defeated the Gophers, 1-4. Minnesota moved to 0-2 in the Big Ten, 12-5 on the season.
The Competition
Michigan is 8-4 on the year, and 2-0 in Big Ten matches. The Wolverines have strung together three straight wins, but are 1-1 on the road. Their signature win of the year came in their third match, a win over No. 4 California. Michigan leads the all time series record with Minnesota, as the Gophers look to reduce the difference.
Michigan State is 9-4 this season, 1-1 in Big Ten Play. The Spartans are 3-1 on the road thus far, with wins over Xavier, Marshall, and West Virginia. Their most recent match came against Purdue, a 5-2 win for the Boilermakers in East Lansing. Michigan State will look to cut into their series deficit with the Gophers, led by Minnesota 29-16.
How to Follow
Streaming and live statistics will be available on the GopherSports website, alongside updates at GopherWTennis Twitter. Recap and Statistics will be posted upon result completion.