Weekly Release #8
3/28/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Saturday, April 1 -- at Illinois (Champaign, Ill.), Noon CST
Sunday, April 2 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), Noon CDT
Wednesday, April 5 -- vs. Michigan State (Varsity Tennis Center), 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 8 -- vs. Indiana (Varsity Tennis Center), 1 p.m.
Road Swing Ends This Weekend
The Michigan men's tennis team caps a six-match road swing with a pair of Big Ten Conference matches this weekend at Illinois (Saturday, April 1, Noon CST) and Northwestern (Sunday, April 2, Noon CDT). The Wolverines have a 2-2 record on the trip thus far and look to post their first Big Ten Conference win of the season during this final weekend trip.
Michigan vs. Illinois
The Wolverines hit the hardcourt against the three-time defending Big Ten dhampions and the No. 6-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday (April 1) at the Atkins Tennis Center. This will be the 80th meeting in the all-time series, with Michigan holding a commanding 60-17-2 advantage. Illinois has won the last four matches between the two schools, with Michigan's last win coming in the 1996 Big Ten Championship final (5-2 victory). The Illini beat the Wolverines 6-1 at the Varsity Tennis Center last year.
Wolverines vs. Wildcats
This Sunday's match between Michigan and Northwestern will be the 82nd meeting between the two schools. The Wolverines hold an impressive 57-23-1 advantage, but the series is 5-5 in the last 10 meetings. The two schools split their matches last year, with Michigan claiming a 6-1 regular-season-ending victory at the Varsity Tennis Center and Northwestern pulling a 4-3 upset of the Wolverines in the first round of the Big Ten Championship.
Michigan Climbs to No. 18 in ITA Rankings
Despite its Big Ten Conference-opening loss to Minnesota, Michigan climbed three spots to No. 18 in the March 22 national team rankings released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The Wolverines entered the top 25 on March 15, listing No. 21. It was the first time Michigan had been ranked in the top 25 since the ITA preseason rankings released Oct. 15, 1996. The only Big Ten Conference schools listed ahead of Michigan in the current team rankings are No. 6 Illinois and No. 17 Minnesota.
Beam Looks to Begin New Streak
After suffering his first dual match setback of the season against Minnesota, sophomore Henry Beam (Kalamazoo, Mich./Loy Norrix HS) looks to begin a new string of wins this week. Beam rattled off eight straight dual match wins before losing 6-3, 6-1 against Minnesota's Jorge Duenas at the No. 3 singles spot last week. Beam is second on the team in overall wins (16-6) and regional wins (9-4), while topping the squad in overall winning percentage (.727), dual wins (8-1) and dual match winning percentage (.889). He has compiled an impressive 36-21 career singles record heading into this weekend.
Wright to Face a Pair of Nationally Ranked Foes
Senior No. 1 singles player Matt Wright (Wichita, Kan./Wichita Collegiate HS) heads into the Illinois and Northwestern matches listed No. 65 in the ITA's national singles rankings. Wright should face a pair of nationally ranked opponents in Illinois' Cary Franklin (13th) and Northwestern's Brad Erickson (99th). Wright leads the Wolverines in overall singles wins (17-7 record) and regional victories (10-3), while compiling a 5-3 dual match record at the No. 1 spot.
Wright ranks tied for eighth in career singles victories at Michigan with Ed Nagel (1985-88). Wright has registered an 81-47 career singles record and holds a 20-14 career mark at the No. 1 singles spot in the lineup. He needs seven wins to surpass Jon Morris (1985-88) for seventh place all-time.
| | Name | Wins | Years |
| 1. | Dan Goldberg | 118-34 | 1985-89 |
| 2. | Peter Pusztai | 115-56 | 1992-96 |
| 3. | Dan Brackus | 101-46 | 1990-94 |
| 4. | Michael Leach | 99-18 | 1978-82 |
| | David Kass | 99-35 | 1988-92 |
| | William Farah | 99-53 | 1996-99 |
| 7. | Jon Morris | 87-35 | 1985-88 |
| 8. | Matt Wright | 81-47 | 1997- |
| | Ed Nagel | 81-23 | 1985-88 |
| 10. | Matt Horwitch | 79-17 | 1977-81 |
Cox Eyes 25th Career Dual Win
Sophomore Ben Cox (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake HS) heads into the Illinois and Northwestern matches needing one victory to collect his 25th career dual match win. Cox has a 24-6 dual match record and is 5-4 this year. He has a 10-9 overall singles record and is 5-4 against regional opponents. Cox has compiled a 36-15 career singles record and boasts an impressive 9-2 Big Ten Conference dual mark.
Long Seeks 75th Win
Senior co-captain John Long (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) enters this weekend's matches looking to capture his 75th career singles victory. Long has a 74-34 career singles record and is 38-17 in dual match competition. Long has won five of his last seven matches but looks to end a current two-match losing streak and claim that elusive 75th win. He is third on the squad with 15 wins (15-8), while compiling a 5-3 dual match record at the No. 2 singles spot. In doubles, Long has played at the No. 2 spot in the lineup, compiling a 5-4 dual match record and a 9-7 overall mark.
Nano Provides Steady Play
Senior Ron Nano (Great Neck, N.Y./South HS) looks to continue his steady play in both singles and doubles during this week's two-match road trip. Nano lists fourth on the squad in overall wins (11-7 record), while his six dual match victories (6-2 mark) are second only to Henry Beam. Nano has an 8-5 overall doubles record and has partnered with Beam to compile a 4-1 record at the No. 3 spot in the lineup.
McCain Eyes 10th Win
Sophomore Danny McCain (Largo, Fla./Canterbury School) looks to become the fifth singles player to reach double digits in wins when the Wolverines hit the courts this weekend. McCain has a 9-9 overall singles record and is 4-5 in dual match competition. He looks to end a four-match losing this streak this weekend and move closer to 30 career wins (26-25 career mark). In doubles, McCain teams with Matt Wright to hold down the No. 1 spot in the lineup. The tandem ranks No. 28 in the ITA doubles poll (March 15), and has compiled an 8-5 overall record and 5-4 dual match mark at the top spot.
Next Week
Michigan begins a six-match homestand at the Varsity Tennis Center, with five of the matches coming against Big Ten Conference opponents. The lone non-conference matchup is against Midwest Regional foe and No. 23-ranked Notre Dame (Thursday, April 13, 3 p.m.).
Contact: David Ablauf (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
