Michigan
Indiana
Michigan Knocks Off Indiana in Big Ten Quarterfinal
4/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The No. 38 University of Michigan men's tennis team earned a return trip to the Big Ten Conference Championship semifinals after defeating No. 59 Indiana by a score of 4-2 Friday (April 28) at the Baseline Tennis Center. The No. 4 seed Wolverines (13-10) were tied with the No. 5 seed Hoosiers (16-10) at 2-2 before sophomore Matko Maravic (Zagreb, Croatia/V. Gimnazija) and junior Brian Hung (Hong Kong, China/Sagemont Virtual School) prevailed in the third set of their respective singles matches to clinch the quarterfinal victory for the Maize and Blue.
The 39th-ranked Maravic stepped up his intensity to knock off the 109th-ranked Dmytro Ishtuganov at the top spot, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 to give U-M its third team point. Hung then completed a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 comeback over Dara McLoughlin at No. 3 to send the Wolverines to the next round.
Maravic and Hung also played an integral role in helping Michigan secure the first team point, as their 8-6 triumph over Ishtuganov and McLoughlin was the first of two doubles wins for the Wolverines. Junior Ryan Heller (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North HS) and freshman Andrew Mazlin (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) wrapped up the doubles point with a dominating 8-2 victory over Peter Antons and David Bubenicek at No. 2.
Freshmen Peter Aarts (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane HS) and Scott Bruckmann (Sarasota, Fla./Saint Stephens Episcopal School) had their comeback effort cut short, as their match at No. 3 with Neil Kenner and Michael McCarthy was abandoned after the doubles point was decided. Aarts and Bruckmann rebounded from a 5-2 deficit and took a 6-5 advantage before play was stopped.
Indiana took a 2-1 lead after posting straight-set singles victories at Nos. 4 and 2, respectively. Junior Steve Peretz (Brooklyn, N.Y./The Dwight School) kept the Wolverines in contention with a crucial 6-2, 6-4 triumph over McCarthy at No. 5, which set the stage for Maravic and Hung's heroics.
Bruckmann was leading Mak Kendall, 6-2, 1-1, at No. 6 when the team outcome was decided.
The Wolverines will meet top seed and No. 10-ranked Ohio State, a 4-0 winner over No. 8 seed Wisconsin earlier in the day, in the semifinals tomorrow (Saturday, April 29) at 10 a.m. CDT. Michigan dropped a 4-0 decision to the Buckeyes in last year's Big Ten Championship semifinals.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #39 Matko Maravic (U-M) #109 Dmytro Ishtuganov, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0
No. 2 -- David Bubenicek (IU) d. Ryan Heller, 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 -- Brian Hung (U-M) Dara McLoughlin, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 -- Neil Kenner (IU) d. Andrew Mazlin, 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 -- Steve Peretz (U-M) d. Michael McCarthy, 6-2, 6-4
No. 6 -- Scott Bruckmann (U-M) led Mak Kendall, 6-2, 1-1 (abandoned)
Doubles
No. 1 -- #10 Hung/Maravic (U-M) d. Ishtuganov/McLoughlin, 8-6
No. 2 -- Heller/Mazlin (U-M) d. Peter Antons/Bubenicek, 8-2
No. 3 -- Peter Aarts/Bruckmann (U-M) led Kenner/McCarthy, 6-5 (abandoned)
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-2, Singles 4-2-5-1-3
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
