Weekly Release #14
4/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Upcoming Schedule
Thu-Sun., April 24-27 -- at Big Ten Championship (Evanston, Ill.)
April 24 -- First Round vs. #10 seed Wisconsin, 10 a.m. CDT
April 25 -- Quarterfinal vs. # 2 seed Ohio State, 10 a.m. CDT
April 26 -- Semifinals, noon CDT
April 27 -- Championship Match, noon CDT
Michigan Heads to Big Ten Championship
The University of Michigan men's tennis team (9-12, 3-7 Big Ten) will travel to Evanston, Ill., this week for the annual Big Ten Conference Championship hosted by Northwestern University. The four-day team tournament held at the Vandy Christie Tennis Center begins Thursday (April 24) and concludes with the championship match on Sunday (April 27).
Wolverines Enter as No. 7 Seed
U-M enters the 2003 Big Ten Championship as the No. 7 seed after finishing the Big Ten dual match season in a tie for sixth place with a 3-7 record. Michigan will face No. 10 seed Wisconsin on Thursday (April 24, 10 a.m. CDT) and with a victory would face No. 2 seed Ohio State on Friday (April 25, 10 a.m. CDT). The semifinal round is scheduled for Saturday (April 26, noon CDT), while the championship match will take place on Sunday (April 27, noon CDT).
Big Ten Standings
Team Big Ten Record Illinois 10-0 Ohio State 9-1 Minnesota 8-2 Purdue 7-3 Michigan State 5-5 Iowa 3-7 MICHIGAN 3-7 Indiana 3-7 Northwestern 3-7 Penn State 2-8 Wisconsin 2-8
U-M vs. Wisconsin
This will be the 74th meeting between the two programs. Michigan has a 66-7 all-time advantage over Wisconsin, including victories in 13 straight matches against the Badgers. The Wolverines defeated Wisconsin 6-1 in their regular-season finale last weekend (April 20), sweeping all six matches in singles play. The last time U-M met the Badgers in a Big Ten Championship match was back in the 1997-98 season, when the Wolverines scored a 4-3 decision over Wisconsin in first-round action.
Michigan vs. Ohio State
This would be the 88th match between Michigan and OSU, with the Wolverines holding a 72-15 all-time record against the Buckeyes. The Wolverines dropped a 7-0 match to then No. 22-ranked Ohio State back on March 15. Michigan last faced Ohio State in a Big Ten Championship match during the 1995-96 season, when the Wolverines defeated OSU 4-0 en route to the overall tournament title.
Wolverines' Big Ten Championship History
Michigan looks to collect its 37th conference championship and first since the 1996 tournament. U-M is atop the list for most Big Ten titles (36) and trails only the Michigan football program for the most titles by any one team in conference history (football has won or shared 40 Big Ten titles).
Big Ten Conference Men's Tennis Team Titles
| School | Titles |
| Michigan | 36 |
| Chicago* | 13 |
| Illinois | 12 |
| Minnesota | 10 |
| Northwestern | 9 |
| Indiana | 5 |
| Ohio State | 4 |
| Michigan State | 2 |
| Iowa | 1 |
| Butler* | 1 |
* indicates former members of the conference
2002 Big Ten Championship Recap
Last season, the Wolverines reached the quarterfinals of the 2002 Big Ten Championship. No. 6 seed U-M downed No. 11 seed Indiana 4-2, taking the doubles point and three singles matches for its second season victory over the Hoosiers. U-M went on to face No. 3 seed Minnesota in the quarterfinal round but gave up the doubles point and the first three singles matches en route to a 4-0 loss to the Gophers.
U-M Closes Out Regular Season With Pair of Victories
Michigan finished up the regular season last weekend at the Varsity Tennis Center, posting wins over Northwestern and Wisconsin. On Saturday (April 19), the Wolverines lost the doubles point but managed to win four of six in singles to defeat the Wildcats 4-3. Michigan sent out its two seniors -- Chris Shaya (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Saddlebrook Academy, Fla.) and Chris Rolf (Midland, Mich./Midland HS) -- with a 6-1 win over Wisconsin on Sunday (April 20). The Wolverines surrendered the doubles point but swept all six singles matches for their 13th straight win against the Badgers.
Michigan Ranked 60th in Nation
After a pair of Big Ten losses on the road two weekends ago, the Wolverines fell two spots to No. 60 in the most recent ITA National Rankings released on Wednesday, April 16. Michigan's highest ranking of the season was at the start of the dual match season, when U-M was No. 48. U-M has dropped as low as No. 68 back in early April.
Rubin Ranked No. 121 in Individual Rankings
Sophomore Michael Rubin (Canton, Ohio/Canton Central Catholic HS) is currently ranked No. 121 in the most recent ITA individual singles rankings released on Wednesday, April 9. Rubin has been ranked as high as No. 94 this season.
Anving Reaches 25th Career Singles Victory
With two match-clinching victories last weekend, sophomore David Anving (Tvaaker, Sweden/Varbergs Gymnasieskola) earned his 25th career singles win at U-M. Anving outlasted Chuck Perrin 7-6(7), 2-6, 6-3 at No. 4 to give Michigan the win over Northwestern on Saturday (April 19) and finished off Scott Green 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 at No. 4 to send U-M to a win over Wisconsin on Sunday (April 20). Anving is tied for the team lead in dual match victories (14) and has an overall singles record of 17-11 this season. Anving's career singles record is 25-20.
Jackson and Fischer Earn 10th Dual Match Win of 2003
Junior Anthony Jackson (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet HS) and sophomore Josef Fischer (Nuremberg, Germany/Bradenton Academy, Fla.) both picked up their 10th dual match victory against Wisconsin last Sunday (April 20). Jackson (10-11) defeated David Hippee 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 at No. 4, while Fischer (10-9) overtook Ward Bortz 7-6(5), 6-1 at No. 5.
Rubin Picks Up 25th Win of 2002-03
With a 6-2, 6-7(10), 6-4 victory over Wisconsin's Alexander Kasarov last Sunday (April 20), Michael Rubin reached the 25-win plateau for his season and career at Michigan. Rubin has a team-best 25-11 overall record, including a 20-6 mark in the region and a 14-7 record in dual match play.
Shaya Closes Home Career with Pair of Wins
Senior Chris Shaya ended his career at the Varsity Tennis Center on a good note, picking up his 25th career singles victory with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Wisconsin's Blake Baratz at No. 3. Shaya also earned his 30th career doubles win, teaming with Michael Rubin at No. 2 for an 8-2 triumph over Scott Green and Alex Conti. Through four years, Shaya has compiled a career singles mark of 25-43 and a career doubles record of 30-58.
Next Week
The Wolverines will head home to Ann Arbor after the Big Ten Championship and await the selection of the tournament field for the 2003 NCAA Championship. The 2003 Men's Tennis Selection Show will air Wednesday (April 30, 4:45 p.m. EDT) on ESPNews.
Contact: Marc Ressler, David Ablauf (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
