Michigan
Harvard
Michigan Remains Undefeated With Win Over Harvard
2/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 24-ranked University of Michigan men's tennis team closed out a five-match homestand with a 5-2 victory over No. 75-ranked Harvard Saturday night (Feb. 3) at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines remained a perfect 5-0 on the season after earning a doubles sweep and four of the six singles matches contested.
Michigan's No. 2-ranked doubles team of senior Brian Hung (Hong Kong, China/Sagemont Virtual School) and junior Matko Maravic (Zagreb, Croatia/V. Gimnazija) increased its winning streak to seven matches with an 8-3 triumph over Michael Hayes and Ashwin Kumar at No. 1, which gave the Wolverines momentum early in the match.
The freshman duo of George Navas (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Preparatory School) and Mike Sroczynski (Chatham, N.J./Laurel Springs School) continued to prove that they are a formidable doubles tandem, claiming the first four games en route to an 8-4 victory over Chris Clayton and Dan Nguyen at No. 3. The win gave U-M the first team point and improved the pair's record to 5-0.
Michigan secured its fourth straight singles sweep thanks to senior Ryan Heller (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North HS) and sophomore Andrew Mazlin (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS), who defeated Scott Denenberg and Gideon Valkin at No. 2. After an early Harvard break left the Wolverine pair trailing 2-0, Heller and Mazlin responded by winning four straight games en route to an 8-6 victory. They have won three of four matches at the No. 2 position this season.
Mazlin provided the Wolverines with a 2-0 lead after defeating Gideon Valkin at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 6-3. Mazlin has won five straight matches and stands at 12-3 overall in 2006-07. Classmate Scott Bruckmann (Sarasota, Fla./Saint Stephen's Episcopal School) followed suit, posting a 6-2, 7-6(2) victory over Michael Kalfayan at No. 6. Bruckmann remains undefeated in dual match action at 2-0, and he becomes the fourth Wolverine to achieve a double-digit win total in 2006-07 (10-5).
For the fourth time in five matches this season, Maravic's singles win clinched the team outcome. His comeback effort over No. 100-ranked Ashwin Kumar at No. 2, 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-3, gave Michigan a 4-0 lead and improved his overall record to a team-best 14-4.
With the matched already decided, the Wolverines earned a victory on one of the three remaining courts. Navas battled back to beat Denenberg at No. 4, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3, for U-M's fifth and final team point.
The Wolverines begin a six-match road stretch next weekend in the state of Virginia. Michigan will face William & Mary on Friday, Feb. 9, at 5 p.m. in the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center in Williamsburg, Va., before finishing the weekend against Virginia on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 6 p.m. in the Boar's Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, Va.
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- #93 Chris Clayton (Harvard) d. #59 Brian Hung, 7-5, 7-5
No. 2 -- #44 Matko Maravic (U-M) d. #100 Ashwin Kumar, 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-3
No. 3 -- Andrew Mazlin (U-M) d. Gideon Valkin, 6-4, 6-3
No. 4 -- George Navas (U-M) d. Scott Denenberg, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 -- Dan Nguyen (Harvard) d. Peter Aarts, 6-7(7), 7-6(4), 1-0(4)
No. 6 -- Scott Bruckmann (U-M) d. Michael Kalfayan, 6-2, 7-6(2)
Doubles
No. 1 -- #2 Hung/Maravic (U-M) d. Michael Hayes/Kumar, 8-3
No. 2 -- Heller/Mazlin (U-M) d. Denenberg/Valkin, 8-6
No. 3 -- Navas/Mike Sroczynski (U-M) d. Clayton/Nguyen, 8-4
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-3-2, Singles 3-6-2-5-1-4
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
