U-M Downs Indiana in Big Ten Championship Opener

Thursday, April 25

Columbus, Ohio

2:00 PM

Michigan

Indiana

4/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The University of Michigan men's tennis team registered a 4-2 victory against Indiana Thursday afternoon (April 25) in first-round action at the 2002 Big Ten Championship held at Ohio State's Stickney Tennis Center. The Wolverines (15-7) won a close doubles point and clinched advancement to the quarterfinals with three singles victories.

Lockin

Michigan's dynamic doubles duo of senior Henry Beam (Kalamazoo, Mich./Loy Norrix HS) and freshman Matt Lockin (Lilburn, Ga./S.D. Independent Study) started things with an 8-5 victory over Milan Rakvica and Ari Widlansky at No. 2. The Wolverines clinched the doubles point as junior Anthony Jackson (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet HS) and senior Greg Novak (Stoney Creek, Ontario/Cardinal Newman HS) won a 9-8 match in a tiebreaker against Reid Strand and Jakub Praibis at No. 3, winning the tiebreaker by an 8-6 score. The match at No. 1 was abandoned following the Wolverines' two victories.

In singles, U-M gained the necessary three wins to advance while IU collected two victories. For the second meeting in a row, IU's Rakvica got the better of Beam, winning 7-6(2), 6-4 at the top spot. Rahman Smiley won a 6-3, 6-4 match against Jackson at No. 4 for the Hoosiers' other point in the match. Senior Ben Cox (Spring Lake, Mich./Spring Lake HS) tallied a 6-4, 6-4 win over Praibis at No. 2, and Lockin gained a 6-3, 6-2 victory against Zach Held at No. 3. Novak clinched the win with a come-from-behind 0-6, 6-3, 7-5 win over Tom Bagnato at No. 5. Freshman Josef Fischer's (Nuremberg, Germany/Bradenton Academy, Fla.) match against Ryan Recht at No. 6 was abandoned once the outcome of the team match was decided.

The Wolverines advance to face No. 3 seed Minnesota in the quarterfinals tomorrow (Friday, April 26, 2 p.m.). Minnesota won a 7-0 match earlier this season against Michigan, and the Gophers have claimed six straight wins against the Wolverines in Big Ten Championship competition.

Following are match-by-match results:

Singles
No. 1 -- Milan Rakvica (IU) d. Henry Beam, 7-6(2), 6-4
No. 2 -- Ben Cox (U-M) d. Jakub Praibis, 6-4, 6-4
No. 3 -- Matt Lockin (U-M) d. Zach Held, 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 -- Rahman Smiley (IU) d. Anthony Jackson, 6-3, 6-4
No. 5 -- Greg Novak (U-M) d. Tom Bagnato, 0-6, 6-3, 7-5
No. 6 -- Josef Fischer (U-M) vs. Ryan Recht (IU) -- abandoned

Doubles
No. 1 -- Chris Shaya/Brett Baudinet (U-M) vs. Held/Recht (IU) -- abandoned
No. 2 -- Beam/Lockin (U-M) d. Rakvica/Ari Widlansky, 8-5
No. 3 -- Jackson/Novak (U-M) d. Reid Strand/Praibis, 9-8(6)

Contact: David Ablauf (734) 763-4423