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Men's tennis visits Northwestern, hopes to stay unbeaten in Big Ten

By Richard Shin
Daily Sports Writer

The Michigan men's tennis team hopes to avoid the "l" train when it heads to Evanston this weekend. Not the famous "El" train that runs through Chicago, but the losses that the Wolverines have actually done a good job of avoiding lately.

Michigan (7-6 overall) has a two-match winning streak on the line at Northwestern (13-2) in Evanston Saturday in a key Big Ten dual match. While the Wolverines hope to extend their winning streak, they also hope to end the Wildcats' own winning streak at six.

The Wildcats are returning home from a series in Hawaii, where they swept four matches. Michigan is atop the Big Ten with a perfect 2-0 record, but the Wildcats are close behind at 3-1.

A loss to the Northwestern would drop the Wolverines from the top spot and tighten the race for the conference crown.

Michigan is coming off a much-needed 10-day break after defeating four-time defending Big Ten champion Minnesota March 20.

"We've got three or four guys with some fairly serious injuries," Michigan coach Brian Eisner said. "Now we've got a chance ... to come back (this) weekend (against Northwestern)."

Northwestern has enjoyed success this year and all of its singles players boast winning records, including three players with more than 20 wins. The No. 78 player in the nation, Alex Witt, leads the Wildcats at No. 1 singles with a 24-11 record.

On paper, the Wolverines and the Wildcats are very similar teams, but Michigan carries the top 15 ranking into Saturday's match and boast the No. 22 player in the nation in Peter Pusztai. Eisner, however, doesn't dwell on the rankings.

"(The team) is only as good as the last match (it) plays," Eisner said. "And the minute that you think that you are better than you are is about the minute that you lose."

Michigan had its share of losses in March, dropping four straight on the road before defeating Arizona State, 4-0, in Alabama, and then returning home to defeat Minnesota, 5-2. All of the Wolverines' losses this season have been to nationally ranked teams. Michigan has played the bulk of its matches on the road thus far this season.

An important position this weekend for Michigan will be No. 3 doubles, where the Wolverines have struggled at times. Northwestern pairs its No. 3 and No. 6 singles players at third doubles, which may be a pivotal match in winning the doubles point.

"We've just got to improve (at third doubles)," Eisner said. "We just got outplayed at No. 3 doubles (against Minnesota). We really didn't play too badly, (the Golden Gophers) just played much better than we did."

Michigan has been strong at the other two doubles positions this season, however, with the No. 17 tandem in the nation, Pusztai and John Costanzo and a second doubles team of Arvid Swan and Geoff Prentice that is 14-5 on the season. If the Wolverines can capture the top two doubles matches, the third doubles becomes inconsequential.

"(Second doubles) is our most consistent doubles team," Eisner said. "Our first two doubles teams are excellent, and (against Minnesota), the positioning was just perfect."

The two-match weekend ends at Wisconsin in another Big Ten dual match. Wisconsin has been erratic this season, coming off consecutive losses to Yale and California-Irvine. The Badgers enter the weekend at 1-2 in the Big Ten and 5-7 overall. Wisconsin is led by their No. 1 singles player Mike Goldstein who is 13-13 on the season.