March 3, 2012
Final Stats
MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin men’s tennis team earned its second shutout of the season with a 7-0 victory over Green Bay at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium on Saturday. The win brings the Badgers back to .500 (4-4, 0-1) and stretches their unbeaten streak at home to four.
The Badgers won two of the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point, though No. 1 doubles pair Billy Bertha and Fredrik Ask dropped their first match to an unranked opponent. Bertha and Ask lost, 8-6, to Green Bay’s Michael Tenzer and Felix Goepper.
Petr Satral and Alexander Kostanov got back on track after their loss to Minnesota last weekend by defeating Craig Cox and Erik Finkenbrink, 8-6.
At No. 3 doubles Alex Robles and Rod Carey were unable to hold the last game to close out the match, sending No. 3 doubles into a tiebreaker to decide the winner of the doubles point.
Wisconsin trailed most of the tiebreaker, but a late overrule gave Wisconsin a match point and Robles finished the match with a volley through the middle. The win gave Wisconsin a 9-8 (7-5) victory over Michael Tebon and Paul Swanson.
“We did win the doubles point, but it wasn’t where I wanted it to be in the doubles,” Wisconsin head coach Greg Van Emburgh said. “Hopefully we can learn from that and come out and take a lot more pride in how good our doubles can be and keep executing.”
Wisconsin got off to a strong start in singles play by sweeping the first set in all the matches to set the tone.
Quinton Vega was the first Badger to win his match with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Tebon.
Bertha finished shortly after Vega when a point penalty was assessed to Bertha's opponent, Goepper, for kicking his racquet. The penalty gave Bertha a 6-1, 6-4, victory.
Carey clinched the match for the Badgers with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Cox, and at No. 1 Ask was next to finish with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Tenzer.
It was a big day for Kostanov who earned his first singles victory as a Badger with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Finkenbrink.
Satral was the only Badger to play a third set. After winning the first set, 6-4, and dropping the second, 6-1, he played well in the match tiebreaker to win 10-8.
“It was good win,” Badgers’ assistant coach Joe Bates said. “We responded better after the doubles this time. We won two out of the three and then got off to a quick start in the singles.”
The Badgers are back in action Sunday against Northern Illinois. Play begins at 3 p.m. at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
Final Results
Wisconsin 7 Green Bay 0
Doubles
1) Michael Tenzer/Felix Goepper (GB) def. Fredrik Ask/Billy Bertha (UW): 8-6
2) Alexander Kostanov/Petr Satral (UW) def. Craig Cox/Erik Finkenbrink (GB): 8-6
3) Alex Robles/Rod Carey (UW) def. Michael Tebon/Paul Swanson (GB): 9-8 (7-5)
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1) Fredrik Ask (UW) def. Michael Tenzer (GB): 6-2, 6-4
2) Alexander Kostanov (UW) def. Erik Finkenbrink (GB): 6-3, 6-3
3) Petr Satral (UW) def. Paul Swanson (GB): 6-4, 1-6, 10-8
4) Billy Bertha (UW) def. Felix Goepper (GB): 6-1, 6-4
5) Rod Carey (UW) def. Craig Cox (GB): 6-3, 6-4
6) Quinton Vega (UW) def. Michael Tebon (GB): 6-3, 6-3
Order of finish: 6, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3
