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Michigan netters fly south for invite

The Michigan men's tennis team travels to Tennessee this weekend looking to mirror its recent singles success.

But matching that performance will not be easy.

On Monday, senior Peter Pusztai captured the Big Ten singles title, winning the final in straight sets.

At the upcoming eighth annual O'Charley's/Volunteer Tennis Classic, Michigan looks to add a team trophy to match Pusztai's individual honor. The Wolverines have never won the tournament, losing a tough match in the second round last year to South Florida. However, they will get a shot at redemption as they face the Bulls in the first round tomorrow at 1 p.m.

"On paper, the match looks pretty even," said Michigan assistant coach Dan Goldberg. "But the team is going in confident that they can win."

The Wolverines, ranked 24th in the nation and seeded third in the eight-team tournament, will face some stiff competition, including three other teams ranked in the top 30 nationally -- No. 9 Southern Alabama, No. 19 Tennessee, and No. 29 Alabama-Birmingham.

In addition to Michigan's team ranking, many of its players boast national rankings of their own. Pusztai is the 64th-ranked player in the country, and senior John Costanzo is No. 79. The duo also combines to form the 29th-ranked doubles team in the nation.

South Florida, which is ranked No. 30, should serve as a test for the Wolverines as they strive to reach the upper echelon of men's tennis.

Pusztai will be challenged at the first singles position, facing the 19th-ranked singles player -- sophomore George Bastl, an opponent he has played before. Coach Brian Eisner has no reservations about keeping Pusztai at No. 1.

"Peter will definitely be playing first singles," Eisner said. "He matches up with any other player in the nation -- he is the best player in the nation."

In last year's tournament, Michigan was without the services of current sophomore Arvid Swan because of an injury. Swan was one of the three Wolverines in the semifinals of Big Tens this season. His presence in this year's tourney should strengthen the team overall.

Eisner expects the Wolverines to rise to the occasion this weekend as they face a field that is rich in talent.

"(Our) expectations are very high," Eisner said. "We're going in with the idea that we are going to win the tournament."

In the second round, Michigan faces the winner of the match between Tennessee and Virginia Tech. The Volunteers, seeded second, have the 11th-ranked singles player in Pablo Montana, and the No. 4 doubles tandem in Montana and Chris Mahony. Tennessee should give the Wolverines the biggest challenge they have encountered all season. Facing such demanding competition so soon after the singles championships was a concern for Eisner.

"Emotionally, it really takes a lot to play for three days straight like we did last weekend," he said. "It takes a tremendous emotional toll on our players. Right now, we are getting prepared for this weekend."

And to take the title, Michigan will probably need to be prepared to play its best tennis of the young season.