Michigan
Wisconsin
Michigan Picks Up Big Ten Road Victory at Wisconsin
3/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 30 University of Michigan men's tennis team remained perfect in the Big Ten Conference at 3-0 with a 6-1 victory over Wisconsin Saturday afternoon (March 25) at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. The Wolverines (9-6, 3-0 Big Ten) earned their third straight win thanks to victories in seven of the nine matches contested. U-M has now won 16 of its last 17 meetings with the Badgers (8-6, 1-2 Big Ten).
Michigan posted back-to-back victories at Nos. 1 and 2 doubles to claim the first team point. Junior Brian Hung (Hong Kong, China/Sagemont Virtual School) and sophomore Matko Maravic (Zagreb, Croatia/V. Gimnazija), the eighth-ranked doubles team in the nation, won their second straight match with an 8-5 decision over Nolan Polley and Jeremy Sonkin at the top spot. Junior Ryan Heller (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North HS) and freshman Andrew Mazlin (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) clinched the doubles point with their third straight win, an 8-4 triumph over Gian Hodgson and Brennen Phippen at No. 2.
Mazlin was the first Wolverine off the court in singles, as he blew past Phippen by a score of 7-6(3), 6-1 at No. 3 to put Michigan in front 2-0. Mazlin has won three straight matches and leads the team in overall singles victories with 15.
After Wisconsin narrowed the gap to 2-1 with a win at No. 2, Maravic took care of the 113th-ranked Sonkin, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 1. Maravic also holds a three-match winning streak, while his record against nationally ranked opponents improves to 6-11 in 2005-06.
Freshman Peter Aarts (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane HS) put together another big win at No. 6, as he battled back to defeat Hodgson, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, to clinch the team victory for the Wolverines. Aarts becomes the sixth U-M player to achieve double-digit totals in singles wins in 2005-06, as he stands at 10-12.
Junior Steve Peretz (Brooklyn, N.Y./The Dwight School) reached his 10th singles victory of the dual match season by defeating Felipe Bellido, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 5 for Michigan's fifth team point. Peretz holds a team-best 10-5 record in dual match play.
Heller completed a comeback effort of his own at No. 4 to close out the match. After falling behind early to Lachezar Kasarov, Heller fought back to earn the final two sets, 6-3, 7-5, and remain undefeated in conference play (3-0).
The Wolverines return home to the Varsity Tennis Center to host Minnesota and Iowa next weekend. Michigan will take on the Golden Gophers on Saturday (April 1) and the Hawkeyes on Sunday (April 2), with both matches scheduled for a noon start.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #47 Matko Maravic (U-M) d. #113 Jeremy Sonkin, 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 -- Nolan Polley (WIS) d. Brian Hung, 6-4, 6-1
No. 3 -- Andrew Mazlin (U-M) d. Brennen Phippen, 7-6(3), 6-1
No. 4 -- Ryan Heller (U-M) d. Lachezar Kasarov, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
No. 5 -- Steve Peretz (U-M) d. Felipe Bellido, 6-4, 6-4
No. 6 -- Peter Aarts (U-M) d. Gian Hodgson, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 -- #8 Hung/Maravic (U-M) d. Polley/Sonkin, 8-5
No. 2 -- Heller/Mazlin (U-M) d. Hodgson/Phippen, 8-4
No. 3 -- Bellido/Kasarov (WIS) d. Aarts/Peretz, 8-6
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-2-3, Singles 3-2-1-6-5-4
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
