The No. 38 UW men's tennis team, which is NCAA Tournament-bound for the first time since 1998, continues its postseason this Friday as it takes on No. 32 Washington in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament in South Bend, Ind.
The Huskies (4-3 Pac 10, 16-6 overall) are making their 13th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament under head coach Matt Anger. Washington is lead by Alex Slovic, who is ranked No. 64 nationally in singles. Slovic made it to the Pac 10 finals, where he was defeated by No. 58 Matt Bruch of Stanford.
""It's a similar-level team, so we can go in there relaxed and kind of swing from the hips a little bit and see what happens,"" UW head coach Greg Van Emburgh said in a press conference Monday afternoon. ""I think it's a great opportunity for us, and the guys are really excited about it.""
Van Emburgh, in his second season with the Badgers, expressed satisfaction with the team's season thus far. The Badgers (6-4 Big Ten, 15-10 overall) have already met both team goals set at the beginning of the season—to finish in the top four in the Big Ten and make the NCAA Tournament.
""The guys have done a great job as far as being devoted and dedicated to what we tried to accomplish with our goals that we set in the beginning of the year,"" Van Emburgh said.
One of the highlights of the season came early in the year when the Badgers defeated then-No. 10 Miami 4-3 Feb. 5 in Florida. The upset, which Van Emburgh earlier called one of the biggest wins in UW history, was marked by fantastic play from freshmen Moritz Baumann, Michael Dierberger and Michael Muskievicz. Baumann and Dierberger each collected a singles victory, while Muskievicz and Dierberger notched a doubles win to help UW take the crucial doubles point.
Van Emburgh said the victory gave the Badgers a huge boost of confidence heading into the thick of the regular season.
""I think they really felt like ‘hey, Coach wasn't just blowing smoke,' he really means that we could be a top 20 team, top 25 team, and we could finish this in the top four of the conference,"" Van Emburgh said of the feeling following the victory.
Freshman Moritz Baumann has played an integral role in the Badgers' success thus far. Baumann, an Inzlingen, Germany, native, boasts a 16-5 singles record since joining the Badgers at the start of the spring semester. He is currently ranked No. 108 in the nation and has won eight of his last nine matches. Van Emburgh noted the immediate impact Baumann has had on the team.
""Moritz is a talented player,"" Van Emburgh said. ""He's just real quick, and he's really in tune with what position he is on the court, whether it's singles or doubles.""
The winner of Friday's match will take on No. 5 Notre Dame Saturday. Both squads have been defeated by the Fighting Irish this season, with the Badgers losing 5-2 on Feb. 11 in Madison. Despite a tough slate of matches ahead, Van Emburgh believes that the Badgers can match or exceed the talent of any opponent they face.
""I think it's a good draw for us if we go out there and we play loose and realizing that it's a great opportunity, just going out there to prove what we can do, because I think no matter who we play on that weekend, I think we're even or better,"" Van Emburgh said.
