Weekly Release #1

Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 17 -- vs. Western Michigan (Varsity Tennis Center), 10 a.m.
Sunday, Jan. 18 -- vs. DePaul (Varsity Tennis Center), Noon
Sunday, Jan. 25 -- vs. Butler (Varsity Tennis Center), Noon

This Week
The University of Michigan men's tennis team opens the 2004 dual match season this weekend with a pair of matches at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines will open their 107th season of competition against Western Michigan on Saturday (Jan. 17) at 10 a.m. and finish the weekend against DePaul on Sunday (Jan. 18) at noon.

Tennis Squads Host Fourth Annual Kickoff Event
The Michigan men's and women's tennis programs will host the fourth annual kickoff event prior to Saturday's (Jan. 17) matches. The men's team starts the doubleheader against Western Michigan at 10 a.m., with the women's squad slated to begin competition against DePaul at 2 p.m. Admission to the event is free, with fans having the opportunity to meet the players, win door prizes and receive a free beverage and snack.

The Opponents
Western Michigan -- Prior to last season, the Wolverines held a 25-match winning streak against WMU. However, the Broncos used four wins in singles to squeak out a 4-3 victory at the Varsity Tennis Center last year. It was the first time that Michigan lost a home opener at the VTC and was also the first loss to Western Michigan at the facility. U-M leads the all-time series 44-8. WMU on the Internet: www.wmubroncos.com.

DePaul -- Michigan posted a commanding 6-1 victory over DePaul last season at the Varsity Tennis Center. The win moved U-M's all-time record against the Blue Demons to a perfect 6-0. DePaul on the Internet: www.depaulbluedemons.com.

Welcome to Ann Arbor
The men's tennis program welcomes three new players to this season's roster. Freshmen Ryan Heller (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North HS), Brian Hung (Hong Kong, China/Sagemont Virtual School) and Steve Peretz (Brooklyn, N.Y./The Dwight School) all come to U-M after spectacular prep careers. Heller, a four-year letterwinner at Glenbrook North High School, compiled a career record of 119-17 at No. 1 and was named team MVP all four years. Hung was ranked as high as No. 123 in the ITF Junior singles rankings and was a quarterfinalist at the 2003 Junior Australian Open. Peretz comes to Michigan after playing No. 1 singles at The Dwight School and earning a No. 21 national ranking in boys' 18 and under.

Co-Captains Named for 2003-04 Team
Head coach Mark Mees has announced the selection of two captains for the 2003-04 men's tennis team. Senior Anthony Jackson (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet HS) and junior Michael Rubin (Canton, Ohio/Canton Central Catholic HS) were chosen by their teammates to lead Michigan into 2004. Both Jackson and Rubin are carrying the honor for the first time in their careers.

Michigan at Varsity Tennis Center
The Wolverines begin their eighth season of competition at the Varsity Tennis Center and have compiled an overall record of 52-16 at the facility. Michigan has won 28 of its last 36 dual matches at home dating back to the 2000-01 season, when it finished with an impressive 11-2 mark, its best season ever at the Varsity Tennis Center.

Wolverines Ranked 57th in Nation
The men's tennis team heads into the dual match season ranked No. 57 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association preseason national team rankings, released Tuesday (Jan. 13). Michigan began last season ranked 48th in the ITA poll.

National Accolades
Michael Rubin is listed No. 34 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association singles rankings released on Jan. 13. Rubin, who was listed No. 78 in the fall singles rankings, posted a team-best 25-12 singles record last season, including a 13-8 dual match mark at No. 1. Rubin was ranked as high as No. 94 in the nation last year for the Wolverines.

Rubin led the Wolverines in overall wins (25) and regional victories (19) and tied for the team lead in overall doubles wins (10) last season. Rubin posted a team-best 11-4 record in the fall of 2002, including three victories at the ITA All-American Championship and four straight wins to claim the singles title at the Rocket Indoor Tennis Tournament.

Regional Recognition
Three members of the men's tennis team are listed in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's preseason regional rankings. Two Wolverines were recognized among the top 30 singles players in the Midwest Region, while one U-M doubles pairing appeared in the top 15.

Michael Rubin leads the way with a No. 6 ranking in singles. Rubin is coming off a successful fall campaign in which he compiled a 13-5 overall record and a 7-2 regional mark. Rubin's fall season was highlighted by trips to the round of 16 at the Icy Hot/ITA All-American Championships (Oct. 3-12) and the final of the Big Ten Singles Championships (Nov. 15-17).

Brian Hung follows Rubin with a No. 21 listing in singles. Hung, who had a 7-4 record in the fall, ended 2003 on a strong note with three straight wins at the Big Ten Singles Championships (Nov. 15-17).

Rubin and Anthony Jackson were the lone U-M representatives in doubles with a No. 15 ranking. The pair teamed together for a 3-1 record during the fall season, picking up one victory at the Michigan Invitational (Oct. 10-12) before two wins at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships (Oct. 23-28).

The Elder Statesman
As the only senior on this year's team, Anthony Jackson will be looked upon to provide leadership and guidance to the other eight members of the team. Michigan's most experienced player, Jackson compiled a 58-48 overall singles record in his first three years at U-M, including a 35-29 mark in dual match action. With a 4-4 record in the fall, Jackson surpassed the 60-win mark for his career. Last season, Jackson finished with a 17-16 overall record in singles, including a 10-11 mark at No. 2. Jackson's career numbers through the fall of 2003 include a 62-52 singles record and a 44-50 doubles mark.

Anving: A Threat to Dual Competition
Junior David Anving (Tvaaker, Sweden/Varbergs Gymnasieskola) looks to carry over his strong dual match play from last year into the 2004 season. In 2003, Anving finished dual match play with the team lead in singles wins (15-7) and a team-best winning percentage in dual match singles action (.682). Anving won six of his final eight dual matches last season, including team victory-clinching wins against Northwestern (April 19) and Indiana State (April 8). Anving, who played at No.3 and No. 4 last season, concluded the 2002-03 season in second place in overall wins (18-11) and regional victories (14-7). After going 1-5 in the fall, Anving needs three singles wins to reach 30 for his career. In his first two seasons at U-M, Anving compiled a career singles record of 26-20 and a doubles mark of 5-5.

Go Fisch
Junior Josef Fischer (Nuernberg, Germany/Bradenton Academy) also ended the 2003 dual match season on a winning note, posting victories in his final three singles matches. Fischer, who played primarily at No. 5 last year, finished with a dual record of 11-9 and an overall mark of 13-13. After a 6-3 record in the fall, Fischer is three wins shy of reaching 25 for his career. Fischer collected a 16-17 overall singles record and a 6-12 doubles mark in his first two seasons at Michigan.

The Michigan Man
Junior Vinny Gossain (Okemos, Mich./Okemos HS), the lone player on the squad who hails from the state of Michigan, looks to build on a commendable 2002-03 season which saw him finish with an overall singles record of 13-8, including a dual match mark of 7-4. Gossain also finished last year tied for the team lead in overall doubles victories (10-20). With a 5-2 record during fall competition, Gossain needs four more wins to reach 25 for his career. In his first two seasons wearing the Maize and Blue, Gossain collected an overall singles record of 16-22 and a doubles mark of 11-22.

Fantastic Fall for Rubin
Sophomore Carey Rubin (Canton, Ohio/Canton Central Catholic HS) rolls into the dual match season after posting an impressive 11-2 singles record during the fall. Rubin won his first 11 matches of the season, including three solid victories at the ITA Midwest Regional Championships (Oct. 23-28). Rubin is three singles victories shy of 20 for his career after compiling a 6-3 overall record during his freshman campaign.

What About the Other Rubin
With a spectacular fall finish, Michael Rubin looks to continue his remarkable career at Michigan. In just two short years as a Wolverine, Rubin has collected a 38-17 singles record and a 15-23 doubles mark. Rubin, who transferred from the University of Washington after the 2000-01 season, will look for his 50th collegiate singles win and 25th career doubles victory this weekend. Rubin's career numbers include a 49-22 mark in singles and a doubles record of 23-31.

Meet the Head Coach
Mark Mees enters his fifth season with the Wolverine men's tennis program and has compiled an overall record of 52-39, including a 20-20 mark in the Big Ten. Mees has led Michigan to three NCAA Championship appearances in his four years as head coach, including a trip to the second round in his first season (1999-2000). Last season Mees reached his second major coaching milestone, earning his 50th career win at Micihgan with a 4-3 victory over Indiana State in Ann Arbor.

2002-03 Season in Review
Last season, Mark Mees led a young and inexperienced U-M team to a 9-13 record and a No. 60 ranking in the final ITA national rankings. Michigan began the season with wins in three of its first four matches, followed by a pair of 7-0 shutouts over Toledo and Butler at the end of February. The Wolverines closed out the year in winning fashion, defeating four of its final six regular season opponents.

Next Week
The Wolverines continue their six-match homestand next weekend, hosting Butler on Sunday (Jan. 25). The match is slated for a noon start at the Varsity Tennis Center.

Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423