Weekly Release #14
4/10/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Upcoming Schedule
Sunday, April 15 -- at Rice (Houston, Texas), 11 a.m. CDT
Saturday, April 21 -- vs. Indiana (Varsity Tennis Center), Noon
Sunday, April 22 -- vs. Ohio State (Varsity Tennis Center), Noon
Michigan Faces Tough Non-Conference Test This Sunday
The No. 18-ranked University of Michigan men's tennis team (16-4, 7-1 Big Ten) will look to extend its winning streak to eight matches when it travels to Houston, Texas, for a non-conference meeting with Rice on Sunday (April 15) at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium. The match is scheduled for an 11 a.m. CDT start.
Scouting Rice
The No. 27-ranked Owls (12-8), who host Abilene Christian on Tuesday (April 10) and Southern Methodist on Friday (April 13), look to rebound from a 4-3 road loss to Tulsa on Saturday (April 7). Rice has two representatives in the national singles rankings, with senior Ben Harknett at No. 28 and junior Ralph Knupfer at No. 95. Harknett carries a 15-7 overall record, including an 11-5 dual match mark at No. 1. Knupfer stands at 16-8 overall and 11-4 at Nos. 2 and 3. Knupfer and sophomore Tobias Scheil are listed at No. 59 in the national doubles rankings after tallying an 11-6 overall mark, including a 10-5 dual match record at Nos. 1 and 2. Head coach Ron Smarr is in his 10th season at Rice and holds a career record of 173-92 at the school. The Owls return six letterwinners from last year's team, which finished at 19-8 overall and reached the second round of the NCAA Championship. Rice leads the all-time series with Michigan by a 3-2 margin, but the Wolverines won the last meeting by a score of 5-2 in Ann Arbor on Feb. 3, 2006. In that match, U-M avenged a 2005 loss to the Owls by claiming a tightly contested doubles point and wins on four of six singles courts. Rice on the Internet: www.riceowls.com
Big Weekend Keeps U-M in Race for Big Ten Title
The Wolverines moved into a tie for second place in the Big Ten Conference standings thanks to impressive victories over Illinois and Purdue last weekend at the Varsity Tennis Center.
Michigan earned its biggest victory in the Bruce Berque era on Friday night (April 6), upsetting the then No. 8-ranked Fighting Illini by a score of 5-2 in front of a record crowd of 467 fans. U-M stormed back from a 2-0 deficit by claiming singles wins at Nos. 2-6 to clinch their first victory over a top-10 opponent in over five years. The win also snapped a 12-match losing skid to the Fighting Illini dating back to the 1997 season.
The Wolverines fell a couple points shy of winning the doubles point against the Boilermakers on Sunday (April 8) but stormed back with a vengeance in singles play, claiming straight-set wins on all six courts to wrap up a 6-1 victory.
Doubles Dominance
The Wolverines have claimed the doubles point in 15 of their 20 matches this season. U-M has won 46 of 59 completed doubles matches in dual match play, suffering just four losses at both the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Since winning two of three matches in the season opener against Marquette on Jan. 20, Michigan has earned doubles sweeps against 11 of its 19 opponents.
Bruckmann Having Breakout Season
After posting six singles victories in 19 tries during his first season, sophomore Scott Bruckmann (Sarasota, Fla./Saint Stephen's Episcopal School) is proving that his freshman experience is paying off. With a 13-7 overall record, Bruckmann has already doubled his win total from a year ago. He has been one of the more dependable players during the dual match season with a 5-2 record at Nos. 5 and 6. Bruckmann has also displayed his endurance and poise this year as three of his five dual match wins have gone three sets.
Heller Making Most of Senior Season
Senior Ryan Heller (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North HS) is off to his best start in his final dual match season at Michigan, having surrendered just four of 18 dual matches at Nos. 2-4 with 11 of his wins coming in straight sets. Heller and sophomore Andrew Mazlin (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) have been the hottest U-M doubles team of late. The pair has won 13 of 16 matches after dropping its season-opening match against Marquette on Jan. 20. The duo is 16-5 overall in 2006-07. Heller recently became the second active Wolverine to accumulate at least 60 career wins in both singles (68-58) and doubles (66-53).
Hung Approaching 80/80 Club
With his 6-3, 6-3 victory over Purdue's Paul Rose on Sunday (April 8), senior Brian Hung (Hong Kong, China/Sagemont Virtual School) moved within one win of 80 for his singles career at Michigan (79-54). Hung has already reached the 80-win mark in doubles (87-46). With his 19-11 overall singles record this year, Hung is approaching the third 20-win season of his career. He needs just three victories to match his career-best total of 22 (22-10) set as a freshman in 2003-04. Hung stands at 25-6 in doubles in 2006-07, one short of his career-high total of 26 (26-11) set as a junior in 2005-06.
Maravic on Pace for Career Year
Junior Matko Maravic (Zagreb, Croatia/V. Gimnazija) was one of five Wolverines to go undefeated in singles last weekend, defeating Illinois' No. 15-ranked Ryan Rowe by a score of 6-7(4), 7-6(8), 1-0(7) at No. 2 on Friday (April 7) before a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Purdue's Branko Kuzmanovic on Sunday (April 8). With two more wins, Maravic will become the first U-M player to record 25 overall singles wins in a season since 2002-03. He holds an overall record of 23-9, including a 14-5 dual match mark at Nos. 1 and 2. Maravic has defeated seven nationally-ranked opponents in 2006-07, and he has won 15 of 19 matches against players from the Midwest Region. He will be looking for his eighth win in the last 10 matches when he takes the court against Rice on Sunday.
What Sophomore Slump
Sophomore Andrew Mazlin is clearly having his best season of his young career at Michigan. He has won 23 of 29 singles matches in 2006-07 and holds a team-best dual match record of 15-3 at Nos. 2-5. Mazlin has already surpassed his freshman total of 18 and will look to become the first Michigan player to record 25 overall singles wins in a season since 2002-03. Mazlin will gun for his 10 victory in the last 11 matches when he takes the court against the Owls on Sunday.
Sroczynski Playing Beyond Youth
Freshman Mike Sroczynski (Chatham, N.J./Laurel Springs School) is a prime example of how much depth the 2006-07 Wolverines carry this season. After seeing limited action during the fall while recovering from an injury, Sroczynski has moved into a comfortable role in his first dual match campaign. He has won all but two of his 14 singles matches in the calendar year, including nine in dual match play at Nos. 4-6. Sroczynski and fellow freshman George Navas (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Preparatory School) have been one of U-M's most dependable doubles teams recently. The pair has won 13 of 17 matches at Nos. 2 and 3 this season.
Senior Trio Leads Michigan Into Battle
Seniors Ryan Heller, Brian Hung and Steve Peretz have made invaluable contributions to the men's tennis program in their first three seasons. Heller, a two-time captain, enters the weekend with career records of 68-58 (47-35 dual) in singles and 66-52 (52-35 dual) in doubles. Hung stands at 79-54 in singles (53-33 dual) and 87-46 (60-29 dual) in doubles. He is a two-time ITA Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-Big Ten selection, as well as U-M's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree the past two seasons. Peretz holds career marks of 65-47 (46-29 dual ) in singles and 30-37 (22-23 dual) in doubles. He was named an ITA Scholar-Athlete in 2006.
Maravic Putting Together Breakout Junior Season
Junior Matko Maravic continues to leave his mark on the Michigan men's tennis program, having claimed the school's 21st Big Ten Singles Championship title (and first since 1996) in November. Maravic finished the fall season with a team-best 9-2 record, including victories over two nationally ranked opponents. The two-time All-Big Ten performer enters the weekend with a career singles record of 61-42, including a 41-26 dual match record. Maravic has been U-M's top singles player since his arrival in Ann Arbor, compiling a career record of 24-20 at the No. 1 position. Also a two-time team MVP, Maravic has knocked off 21 nationally ranked players during his career, and last year he earned Michigan's first trip to the NCAA Singles Championship since 2000. As a sophomore in the 2005-06 season, Maravic finished with career-best final ITA singles rankings of No. 37 nationally and No. 7 regionally.
Sophomores Gaining Valuable Experience
Sophomores Peter Aarts (Pound Ridge, N.Y./Fox Lane HS), Scott Bruckmann, Mike DePietro (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Lahser) and Andrew Mazlin bring depth to this season's roster after seeing extensive action during their freshman seasons in 2005-06. Aarts went 14-13 overall and 8-6 in dual match play at Nos. 5 and 6 singles. Bruckmann finished at 6-13 in singles and 8-15 in doubles, while DePietro went 5-5 in singles en route to being named Michigan's Most Improved Player. Mazlin made the biggest impact of all the freshmen, finishing his first season with an overall record of 18-21 and a 10-14 dual match mark at Nos. 3-5 singles. Primarily at the No. 2 position, he collected an 18-17 overall mark in doubles and posted a 14-11 dual match record.
U-M Welcomes Three Freshmen to 2006-07 Roster
Freshmen George Navas, Matt Parks (Troy, Mich./Troy HS) and Mike Sroczynski joined Michigan this fall after spectacular junior careers. Navas was ranked as high as No. 9 nationally (No. 2 in Florida) in singles and No. 1 nationally (No. 1 in Florida) in doubles for Boy's 18-and-under. Parks was named Michigan's Mr. Tennis by the Detroit Free Press at the end of his senior season at Troy High School. He also earned all-state honors all four seasons and was named a National High School All-American in 2006. Sroczynski was ranked as high as No. 27 nationally and No. 137 in the International Tennis Federation for Boy's 18-and-under. He claimed a National Open doubles title in 2006, as well as a doubles crown at the 2005 U.S. International Hard Court Championships.
Hung and Maravic Aim to be U-M's First All-Americans Since 1994
Michigan's top doubles tandem of senior Brian Hung and junior Matko Maravic put forth a remarkable effort during the fall, finishing as the runner-up at the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Championships on Oct. 5-8 before reaching the semifinals at the ITA National Indoor Championships on Nov. 2-5. Hung and Maravic concluded the 2005-06 season ranked No. 19 after finishing the year at 26-10 overall and advancing to the second round at the NCAA Doubles Championship. The duo was U-M's first NCAA doubles qualifier since 1996, and its first-round win was the Maize and Blue's first victory at the national tournament since 1986. The pair holds a career record of 60-22 heading into this weekend's match.
Heller, Hung and Maravic Elected Team Tri-Captains for 2007
Head coach Bruce Berque announced that seniors Ryan Heller and Brian Hung and junior Matko Maravic have been voted as tri-captains by their teammates to lead the Wolverines in 2007. It marks the second career nomination for both Heller and Hung, while Maravic is carrying the honor for the first time in his career.
Michigan Team, Four Wolverines Listed in ITA National Rankings
After a pair of convincing road victories last weekend, Michigan jumped one spot to No. 18 in the 12th edition of the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings, administered by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association on Tuesday (April 10). The Wolverines, who ended last season with a final national ranking of No. 38, are the third-highest ranked team in the Big Ten Conference behind No. 3 Ohio State and No. 9 Illinois. Defending national champion Georgia occupies the No. 1 spot for the 12th straight week. Michigan will be tested from start to finish this season, as 16 of its 23 opponents were listed in the first national rankings.
The No. 18 listing marks Michigan's highest national team ranking since March 22, 2000, when the Wolverines were listed in the exact same position.
Senior Brian Hung and junior Matko Maravic are the No. 3-ranked doubles team in the nation and the two are listed No. 50 and No. 68, respectively, in the most recent singles rankings (April 3). Senior Ryan Heller and sophomore Andrew Mazlin remain at No. 35 in the national doubles rankings for the third straight week.
Wolverine Trio Earn Fall Regional Rankings
Three Michigan student-athletes were awarded with regional rankings at the conclusion of the 2006 fall season. Junior Matko Maravic was the top Wolverine in the Midwest Region singles rankings at No. 7 after going a team-best 9-2 (7-1 region) and capturing the Big Ten Singles Championship title on Nov. 10-13. Senior Brian Hung was listed at No. 20 after posting a 6-4 (2-1 region) record, including three qualifying victories at the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Championships on Oct. 2-8. Senior Ryan Heller was listed at No. 21 after going 4-4, including two qualifying wins at the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Championships.
After their spectacular fall season, in which they finished as the runners-up at the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Championships before reaching the semifinals at the ITA National Indoor Championships on Nov. 2-5, Hung and Maravic were awarded with the No. 1 doubles ranking in the Midwest Region.
2006-07 Tournament Season Review
Michigan opened the fall season by hosting the Wolverine Invitational on Sept. 29-Oct. 1, with the Maize and Blue finishing the three-day event with a combined record of 20-14 in singles and doubles. Sophomore Andrew Mazlin went undefeated on the weekend, finishing with records of 3-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles.
Senior Brian Hung and junior Matko Maravic, the fourth seed in the 32-team main draw at the Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Championships on Oct. 2-8, picked up four convincing victories over nationally-ranked opponents throughout the week to earn Michigan's first-ever berth in the doubles championship match at the event. The U-M men's tennis program's quest at its first-ever national doubles championship came to an end on Oct. 8, as Hung and Maravic dropped an 8-3 decision to Georgia's No. 9-ranked Luis Flores and John Isner in the title match. It was Michigan's first appearance in a national championship match since 1989, when MaliVai Washington (1988-89) defeated teammate Dan Goldberg (1986-89) for the singles title at the ITA National Indoor Championships.
Maravic led a contingent of eight players in the main draw of the 2006 Wilson/ITA Midwest Regional Championships on Oct. 20-22. Maravic was the last Wolverine standing in singles play, reaching the round of 16 before bowing out. He also paired with freshman George Navas to reach the third round in doubles action.
Hung and Maravic fell just shy of a second straight berth in the championship match of a national doubles tournament as the Wolverine duo dropped an 8-5 decision to Middle Tennessee State's No. 3-ranked Marco Born and Andreas Siljestrom in the semifinal round of the 2006 ITA National Indoor Championships on Nov. 2-5. It marked the second time in three years that Michigan suffered a loss in the doubles semifinals at the national tournament.
Michigan wrapped up the fall in winning fashion, as Maravic won six straight matches in the 64-player main draw of the Big Ten Singles Championship to claim Michigan's first conference singles title since 1996.
The Wolverines had a strong start to 2007, compiling records of 9-7 in singles and 6-2 in doubles against players from Duke, Miami (Fla.) and Texas at the Miami Invitational on Jan. 13-14. Hung, Navas and freshman Mike Sroczynski all went undefeated in each of their two singles matches. Hung and Maravic lived up to their No. 2 national doubles ranking by going 2-0 over the weekend, including an 8-3 victory over Duke's No. 4-ranked tandem of Joey Atas and David Goulet.
The Leader of the Wolverines
Bruce Berque is in his third season at the helm of the Michigan men's tennis program after leading the Wolverines to an NCAA Championship appearance in 2005-06, their first in four years. During his first season in 2004-05, Berque guided U-M to a 15-10 overall record and its highest Big Ten Conference finish (third place) since 1999. Berque was a member of the University of Illinois men's tennis coaching staff for six seasons prior to his appointment at Michigan. After joining the Fighting Illini as a volunteer assistant in January of 1999, Berque served as the associate head coach under Craig Tiley for the next five years. During Berque's tenure, Illinois captured four NCAA championships (one team, one singles and two doubles), two National Indoor team championships, six Big Ten Conference crowns and an NCAA record 64 consecutive dual match victories. Berque has coached 13 players to 17 NCAA All-America nominations during his career and was named the ITA National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2003.
Maymi Joins Coaching Staff in 2006-07
Sean Maymi is in his first season as an assistant coach with the Michigan men's tennis program. Prior to his appointment at U-M, Maymi served as an assistant coach at Fresno State University during the 2005-06 season. Taking the assistant post at U-M represents a return to the Big Ten Conference for Maymi, who spent the 2005 dual match season as a volunteer assistant coach at Northwestern. Maymi arrived at Northwestern from the Racquet Club of Lake Bluff, Ill., where he worked as a teaching professional while providing personal and group coaching to top-ranked junior players in 2004-05.
Maymi was a four-year varsity letterwinner at the University of North Florida from 1998-2001. A two-time team captain, Maymi compiled a career dual match singles record of 54-35 while leading the Ospreys to NCAA Division II Championship appearances in 1999 and 2001. After his eligibility expired, Maymi served as an assistant coach for the North Florida men's and women's teams in 2001-02.
Michigan Inks Two Standout Recruits for 2007-08
On Nov. 21, 2006, the Michigan men's tennis program announced the signing of Chris Madden (Lotus, Calif./Ponderosa HS) and David Streeter (Beverly Hills, Mich./Birmingham Groves HS) to National Letters of Intent to attend U-M and play for the Wolverines in the 2007-08 season. NLI Release
2005-06 Season Review
The 2005-06 season saw head coach Bruce Berque and his program reach a significant milestone, as Michigan secured its first NCAA Championship bid since 2002. The Wolverines, who finished at 13-12 overall and 6-4 in the Big Ten (fourth place), were also represented well at the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships. Matko Maravic was U-M's first singles qualifier in six years, while Maravic and Brian Hung recorded Michigan's first NCAA doubles victory since 1986.
U-M ended the year ranked No. 38 nationally and No. 6 regionally. Hung and Maravic finished the season at No. 19 (No. 3 regionally) in the national doubles rankings, while Maravic was the lone U-M representative in the singles rankings at No. 37 (No. 7 regionally). Maravic earned his second straight All-Big Ten nomination at the conclusion of the season.
Hung and Maravic were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team in 2005-06. Hung and Steve Peretz earned ITA Scholar-Athlete honors, marking Hung's second straight award and Peretz's first.
On the Horizon ...
The Wolverines close out the regular season next weekend at the Varsity Tennis Center. Michigan will host Indiana on Saturday (April 21) and Ohio State on Sunday (April 22) with both matches set to start at noon. U-M will honor its 2007 Senior Class -- Ryan Heller, Brian Hung and Steve Peretz -- prior to the match against the Buckeyes.
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
Players Mentioned
