Spartan fans invade 'M' tennis home, but Michigan wins 6-1

According to the schedule, last night's match at the Varsity Tennis Center was a home match for the Michigan men's tennis team.

But it sure didn't look like it.

As Michigan coach Brian Eisner hosted his alma mater, hundreds of Michigan State fans flocked to Ann Arbor for the in-state rivalry, but the opposition's cheering didn't shake the Wolverines, as they crushed their opponents 6-1.

The Wolverines (5-0 Big Ten, 10-3 overall) started the onslaught by easily winning at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles to earn the doubles point. The top two duos have each won five straight matches.

Seniors Brook Blain and Arvid Swan easily defeated Michigan State's duo of Chris Struck and Ken Kigongo, 8-3. In the past five matches, Swan and Blain haven't even lost a game on their serve.

DANA LINNANE/Daily Sophomore Matt Wright and his partner, junior Jake Raiton, won their fifth straight doubles match yesterday. The duo kept Michigan undefeated in the Big Ten by helping the Wolverines earn the doubles for an early 1-0 lead. In the end, Michigan triumphed over Michigan State, 6-1.

Junior Jake Raiton and sophomore Matt Wright also kept their doubles winning streak intact with their third 8-2 doubles victory in the past three matches.

"They beat us solidly at one and two doubles, and we have been playing good doubles lately," Michigan State coach Gene Orlando said.

But for the third time in as many matches, the No. 3 doubles team of Junior Miki Puzstai and sophomore John Long came up short, losing 8-6. This could mean trouble when the Wolverines face doubles team such as Notre Dame, which boasts the No. 1 duo in the region.

"We've been playing so well at one and two, that the match has been decided while No. 3 is still out there and I think, naturally, it's hard not to let down," assistant coach Dan Goldberg said. "I don't think it's necessarily a weak spot in the lineup."

The Michigan winning didn't stop there. The Wolverines came out strong in singles play and were able to beat the Spartans convincingly, winning five out of six singles matches.

At No. 1 singles, David Paradzik tired out Trey Eubanks, and Paradzik ended up on top, 7-5, 6-1.

"He got tired, I think," Paradzik said. "I just finally wore him down - it's always to my advantage to have points longer."

Eubanks found Paradzik wearing on him in the second set.

"He's a really frustrating player," Eubanks said. "He was running down every ball and he doesn't let you have an easy match."

Blain, Swan and junior Will Farah also had no trouble sweeping their opponents in straight sets.

Swan, playing No. 3 singles, easily beat Chris Struck, 6-2, 6-2. It was Swan's 10th win in a row, and while he attributes his winning streak to better concentration and steadier practicing, Goldberg says it's the 'C-word' that made the difference.

"Arvid's been playing well, he's got his confidence back," Goldberg said. "At this level, confidence is 70 percent of the game - everyone has the strokes, its a question of confidence under pressure."

Farah has also been on a roll. He's won five in a row, and came from behind to win both sets yesterday in a 6-4, 6-3 win.

Blain, on the other hand, needed this victory to boost his confidence and end a losing streak over the past two matches.

"I felt like I returned better today - I took away his first serve, which is his strong point," Blain said.

At the end of this match, Blain's opponent, Ken Kigongo, threw his racket across the court. The resulting penalty carried over into Paradzik's match, giving him a 15-0 advantage in the fifth game of the second set.

"He was being very unsportsmanlike in my book," Blain said.

Wright gave the Wolverines another point, beating Ivica Primorac in a close match that lasted three sets. Wright caught up after trailing 5-2 in the first set, winning five straight games enroute to a 7-5 win. He lost the second set 6-2, but breezed through the third, 6-2.

The Wolverines' only loss came from No. 6 singles player John Long. Long, who had not lost a match since the Blue/Gray tournament last season, ended his undefeated streak, losing to Francisco Trinidad 6-2, 4-6, 4-6.

Eisner attributes a number of things to his team's success.

"It wasn't just that we played well," he said. "There was an intensity, there was a relaxness, there was an eagerness - everything was in place for us to perform our best."

04-09-98