The Wisconsin men's tennis team looks to gain momentum at the 2008 Division I ITA Midwest Region Championship at Ohio this Thursday.
Eight members of the team will participate in the tournament: sophomores Peter Marrack and Marek Michalicka and juniors Moritz Baumann, Michael Dierberger, Luke Rassow-Kantor and Michael Muskievicz. Freshman Varun Chari and senior Gian Hodgson will also compete.
Baumann and Michalicka will headline the tournament for the Badgers. The pair is coming off rough performances in the ITA All-Americans tournament in Tulsa, Okla. Both struggled in their respective singles draws and lost in the second round of doubles play, despite a free pass in the first round due to forfeit.
Michalicka saw the Midwest Regional Championship as a way to start anew. We are trying to forget about the doubles match,"" he stated, noting the disappointment of losing early at the ITA All-Americans.
Instead, Baumann and Michalicka will look to perform the same way they did at the Baylor Invitational in Waco, Texas, earlier this year. The then-ranked No. 39 duo among Div. I collegiate doubles teams took the doubles title in only their second tournament of the year. The team of Baumann and Michalicka defeated the Fresno State team of junior Mirko Zapletal and senior Rudolf Siwy, 8-5.
Other members of the Badgers squad, such as Rassow-Kantor and Marrack, look to carry their momentum from solid performances in the Tom Fallow Invitational this past weekend in South Bend, Ind. Rassow-Kantor and Marrack finished the tournament in impressive fashion, both beating opponents from Western Michigan in straight sets.
The Midwest Region Championship features top programs from all over the Midwest, including many from the Big Ten. Wisconsin head coach Greg Van Emburgh noted the tough competition from Minnesota as well as host Ohio State.
""Ohio State has a really strong team,"" Van Emburgh stated. ""There's a lot of solid competition.""
The Badgers will need their top game if they happen to draw either of Ohio State's top players, junior Justin Kronauge or senior Bryan Koniecko.
Kronauge and Koniecko advanced far into the 2007 ITA Midwest Region Championship, actually facing one another in the tournament's semifinal round.
Van Emburgh further commented on the tough losses incurred at the All-Americans.
""We had a couple tough draws out there '¦ it's such a prestigious event,"" he stated.
However, Van Emburgh saw the Midwest Region Championship as a way to raise the team's level of competition.
""We want to continue to make sure that we're ready to play those top teams and top players,"" he said.
Van Emburgh noted how performance in tournaments such as the Midwest Region Championship gave the coaches a solid read as to what the team needs to work on before the spring semester, when conference play begins.
Despite the competition, Michalicka remained optimistic of the team's chances and looks forward to the experience.
""It should be a really good tournament,"" he said. ""I'm excited to go there.""
The tournament will begin Thursday at 9 a.m. and will run through Monday, in Columbus. Draws will be announced on the first day of the tournament.
