Year after year, the Wisconsin club tennis team continues to make strides toward becoming the best team in the country. In only its fifth year in existence, the club tennis team took second in the USTA Club Tennis Championships in Surprise, Arizona from April 16-18.
In the opening day of competition, the Badgers got off to a strong start. Wisconsin earned decisive wins over Alabama, Boston College and Stanford en route to earning a spot in the gold bracket. The closest effort for Wisconsin came during the first match on April 16, where UW beat the Crimson Tide by a score of 20-16.
The Badgers faced off with in-state rival Marquette in the first round of the gold bracket. Dating back to the Midwest Championship, the Golden Eagles were one point away from spoiling Wisconsin's chances of reaching the national tournament. Realizing the importance of being on the national stage, UW breezed by Marquette by 12 games, 25-13.
After defeating the Maryland Terrapins in a similar fashion, Wisconsin met their toughest match of the 2009 season, the Central Florida Knights. In one of the most spectacular tennis moments in UW Club Tennis history, sophomore John Smits and graduate student Amanda Van Horn closed off the match in mixed doubles, defeating the Knights 25-24. Smits returned an overhead smash from Central Florida's male player and it proved to be too much for the Knights. The United States Tennis Association called it one of the most exciting finishes to a club tennis match in the history of the programs existence.
"It really shouldn't have come down to that because we had so many chances earlier, but they played a great match and it was great to come out on top," Smits said in an interview following the Central Florida match. "We're having a blast, catching some rays, and can't wait to hopefully bring a national championship back to Madison."
From there, it was a date with the Duke Blue Devils on center court at the Surprise Tennis Complex. In front of hundreds of fans, the Badgers battled and gave the Blue Devils their toughest contest of the tournament. In the end, however, Duke captured the trophy with a 26-21 victory and the Badgers ended the season as the number two team in the country.
Only losing two seniors from the 2009 national's team and returning several from abroad, the Badgers will enter next season as a heavy favorite to make another run at the national title. If history repeats itself, Wisconsin will continue to improve and potential be standing atop the podium in 2010.
In the opening day of competition, the Badgers got off to a strong start. Wisconsin earned decisive wins over Alabama, Boston College and Stanford en route to earning a spot in the gold bracket. The closest effort for Wisconsin came during the first match on April 16, where UW beat the Crimson Tide by a score of 20-16.
The Badgers faced off with in-state rival Marquette in the first round of the gold bracket. Dating back to the Midwest Championship, the Golden Eagles were one point away from spoiling Wisconsin's chances of reaching the national tournament. Realizing the importance of being on the national stage, UW breezed by Marquette by 12 games, 25-13.
After defeating the Maryland Terrapins in a similar fashion, Wisconsin met their toughest match of the 2009 season, the Central Florida Knights. In one of the most spectacular tennis moments in UW Club Tennis history, sophomore John Smits and graduate student Amanda Van Horn closed off the match in mixed doubles, defeating the Knights 25-24. Smits returned an overhead smash from Central Florida's male player and it proved to be too much for the Knights. The United States Tennis Association called it one of the most exciting finishes to a club tennis match in the history of the programs existence.
"It really shouldn't have come down to that because we had so many chances earlier, but they played a great match and it was great to come out on top," Smits said in an interview following the Central Florida match. "We're having a blast, catching some rays, and can't wait to hopefully bring a national championship back to Madison."
From there, it was a date with the Duke Blue Devils on center court at the Surprise Tennis Complex. In front of hundreds of fans, the Badgers battled and gave the Blue Devils their toughest contest of the tournament. In the end, however, Duke captured the trophy with a 26-21 victory and the Badgers ended the season as the number two team in the country.
Only losing two seniors from the 2009 national's team and returning several from abroad, the Badgers will enter next season as a heavy favorite to make another run at the national title. If history repeats itself, Wisconsin will continue to improve and potential be standing atop the podium in 2010.
Roster- John Smits, Justin Lewis, Matt Shipp, Gregg Weinman, Greg Kipnis, Lauren Smyczek, Amanda Van Horn, Sarah McKay, Lindsay Hughes, Emily Warner
Notable musician Jack Johnson once wrote, "Three, it�s a magic number. Yes it is, it's a magic number." For the University of Wisconsin club tennis team, it's the beginning of a perennial powerhouse in the Midwest conference. From March 6-8, the Badgers captured their third-straight Midwest Championship, earning an automatic bid to the national tournament in April.
After sweeping competition in the opening round of pool play, the Wisconsin Red team advanced to the Gold Bracket of play on Saturday. In the most important match of the season, the Badgers faced off against in-state rival Marquette. To most of the players, it was just another match; however President Kevin Rolston knew the magnitude of the match.
Having booked a flight in January to Nationals in Arizona, Rolston could only sit back and watch his team against the Golden Eagles, knowing that Wisconsin had to win the match in order to qualify for the national tournament. About two hours and a few gray hairs later, the president sat anxiously as Marquette was only a few points away from ending Wisconsin's hopes of winning Midwest.
Wisconsin only led by a few games heading into mixed doubles play. All eyes turned to sophomore John Smits and graduate student Amanda Van Horn as they looked to close out the match. After a back and forth contest, Marquette pulled through and sent the match into a super tiebreaker. Even though the Badger tandem trailed by a couple of points in the tiebreaker, they persevered and pulled out the win. This would not be the last time that Smits and Van Horn battled back to clinch a match.
On the final day of action, Wisconsin faced off against Big Ten foe Northwestern in the semi-finals. The Badgers prevailed in a dominant fashion, only to face off against rival Michigan in the finals of the tournament.
The match between the Badgers and Wolverines lived up to the expectations of the rivalry. Wisconsin earned wins by Lauren Smyczek at singles, John Smits and Justin Lewis at men's doubles, and Amanda Van Horn and Lindsay Hughes at women's doubles. Even though Smits and Van Horn had a lead going into mixed, Michigan battled back to win the first set and another game, thus forcing a super tiebreaker.
The Wolverines jumped all over the Badgers in the breaker, leading 4-1 with the ball on their racket. With the help of the Wisconsin women's varsity team and close to thirty Badger fans, Smits and Van Horn rebounded in a strong fashion. On match point, Van Horn hit an unbelievable serve up the middle and solidified Wisconsin's third-straight championship.
The Wisconsin club tennis program would like to thank all that attended the event. We look forward to seeing you in The Grand Canyon State from April 15-19.
Tryouts are Tuesday the 20th and Wednesday the 21st from 10:00 to 11:15 at Neilsen. If you were on the travel team last semester you do not need to try out again. If you would like to be considered for the travel team please come Tuesday night.
By Stephen Watson
Athletic Communications Coordinator
Despite the gift of snow from Mother Nature, Wisconsin prevailed against Northwestern and Purdue at the Northwestern Invitational that was held a Glenview Tennis Club over the past weekend. This trip was a true testament of team bonding as the Badgers arrived in Chicago on Friday afternoon in preparation for an early start on the North Shore the next day. The night was filled with competitive bowling, endless battles of "Catch Phrase," where Smitty was the undisputed MVP, and some first-class taco soup prepared by Mrs. Smits.
Match play began at ten in the morning on Saturday as Wisconsin faced off against Northwestern and Purdue at the same time. Due to the minimal court space, the tennis was drawn out for close to five hours, with multiple matches having to stop, switch courts, or wait for another to open up altogether. The day began with two women's doubles matches occurring simultaneously against the wildcats and Boilermakers. Emily Warner and Lauren Smyczek started the team off on the right foot with a 6-1 win over Northwestern while Megan Bartholomew and Amanda Greely added a 6-2 victory over Purdue. The doubles duo of Drew Hackbarth and Bobby Spector played a tough match against Purdue, but fell 6-4 and brought Wisconsin's lead over Purdue down two games. "I was really surprised they broke my serve at 4-3," Hackbarth said, "I'm pretty huge so that doesn't happen very often." Reminiscent of Ricard Gasquet's sponsorship by Lacoste, Kevin Rolston supported the clothing line strongly and teamed up with John Smits to beat Northwestern 6-3. "I don't get why Kevin thinks his shoes are so tight," doubles partner Smits said, "my Nike's are obviously fresher."
On the singles end, Wisconsin faced a lot of tough competition as two of the singles matches were decided by a select number of points. In a rare appearance at singles, John Smits played an intense match that came down to the final point of a tiebreaker. Similar to Lauren Smyczeck's match against Northwestern, Smits lost the tiebreaker to one of the top players in the Illinois State Highschool Tennis last year. Adam Warshawsky also had a difficult match against Purdue, but fought back to lose a closely contested 6-4 loss. Megan Bartholomew filled in for Lauren against Purdue in singles and helped provide the Badgers with their only singles victory at 6-2.
Going into the mixed doubles matches with leads over both Big Ten teams, the partnerships of Bobby Spector and Emily Warner along with Adam Warshawsky and Amanda Greely held on to solidify wins. Due to time constraints, the team had to leave Chicago without the chance to play a revived and newly competitive Eastern Michigan Team. Wisconsin finished the tournament with a 26-17 win over Purdue and a 26-22 victory against Northwestern. Even though it was only a 24-hour trip, it was filled with great tennis and even better laughs.
Athletic Communications Coordinator
Despite the gift of snow from Mother Nature, Wisconsin prevailed against Northwestern and Purdue at the Northwestern Invitational that was held a Glenview Tennis Club over the past weekend. This trip was a true testament of team bonding as the Badgers arrived in Chicago on Friday afternoon in preparation for an early start on the North Shore the next day. The night was filled with competitive bowling, endless battles of "Catch Phrase," where Smitty was the undisputed MVP, and some first-class taco soup prepared by Mrs. Smits.
Match play began at ten in the morning on Saturday as Wisconsin faced off against Northwestern and Purdue at the same time. Due to the minimal court space, the tennis was drawn out for close to five hours, with multiple matches having to stop, switch courts, or wait for another to open up altogether. The day began with two women's doubles matches occurring simultaneously against the wildcats and Boilermakers. Emily Warner and Lauren Smyczek started the team off on the right foot with a 6-1 win over Northwestern while Megan Bartholomew and Amanda Greely added a 6-2 victory over Purdue. The doubles duo of Drew Hackbarth and Bobby Spector played a tough match against Purdue, but fell 6-4 and brought Wisconsin's lead over Purdue down two games. "I was really surprised they broke my serve at 4-3," Hackbarth said, "I'm pretty huge so that doesn't happen very often." Reminiscent of Ricard Gasquet's sponsorship by Lacoste, Kevin Rolston supported the clothing line strongly and teamed up with John Smits to beat Northwestern 6-3. "I don't get why Kevin thinks his shoes are so tight," doubles partner Smits said, "my Nike's are obviously fresher."
On the singles end, Wisconsin faced a lot of tough competition as two of the singles matches were decided by a select number of points. In a rare appearance at singles, John Smits played an intense match that came down to the final point of a tiebreaker. Similar to Lauren Smyczeck's match against Northwestern, Smits lost the tiebreaker to one of the top players in the Illinois State Highschool Tennis last year. Adam Warshawsky also had a difficult match against Purdue, but fought back to lose a closely contested 6-4 loss. Megan Bartholomew filled in for Lauren against Purdue in singles and helped provide the Badgers with their only singles victory at 6-2.
Going into the mixed doubles matches with leads over both Big Ten teams, the partnerships of Bobby Spector and Emily Warner along with Adam Warshawsky and Amanda Greely held on to solidify wins. Due to time constraints, the team had to leave Chicago without the chance to play a revived and newly competitive Eastern Michigan Team. Wisconsin finished the tournament with a 26-17 win over Purdue and a 26-22 victory against Northwestern. Even though it was only a 24-hour trip, it was filled with great tennis and even better laughs.
Congratulations to the 4th Annual Badger Classic Sportsmanship Winner:
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY!
It was truly impressive to see how many teams were recommended for sportsmanship and just shows what great competitors all the teams are.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY!
It was truly impressive to see how many teams were recommended for sportsmanship and just shows what great competitors all the teams are.
GROUP A
Wisconsin White def. Miami (OH) 29-14
Wisconsin White def. Loyola 25-11
Wisconsin White def. Southern Illinois 30-2
Miami (OH) def. Loyola 26-20
Miami (OH) def. Southern Illinois 25-11
Loyola def. Southern Illinois 29-12
GROUP B
Michigan def. Rutgers 29-18
Michigan def. Illinois Tech 30-2
Marquette def. Illinois Tech 30-3
Marquette def. Illinois 26-23
Rutgers def. Illinois Tech 30-4
Rutgers def. Marquette 26-25
GROUP C
Minnesota def. Delaware 26-20
Minnesota def. Colorado II 28-16
Minnesota def. Grand Valley 29-15
Colorado II def. Grand Valley 26-20
Colorado II def. Delaware 26-19
Delaware def. Grand Valley 25-22
GROUP D
Illinois def. UW Milwaukee 29-13
Illinois def. Dayton 30-8
Illinois def. Eastern Michigan 30-4
Dayton def. Eastern Michigan 29-11
UW Milwaukee def. Eastern Michigan29-13
UW Milwaukee def. Dayton 30-13
GROUP E
Wisconsin Red def. Ferris State 27-14
Wisconsin Red def. Western Michigan 30-4
Wisconsin Red def. Valparaiso 30-9
Ferris State def. Valparaiso 30-11
Ferris State def. Western Michigan 30-11
Western Michigan def. Valparaiso 21-20
GROUP F
UW Whitewater def. Northern Iowa 25-18
Northwestern def. SLU 28-10
Northwestern def. UW Whitewater 30-3
Northwestern def. Northern Iowa 30-7
SLU def. Northern Iowa 29-10
SLU def. UW Whitewater 26-14
GROUP G
Michigan State def. Depaul 30-15
Michigan State def. Iowa State 24-23
Depaul def. Iowa State 20-18
Colorado def. Michigan State 30-14
Colorado def. Depaul 28-15
Colorado def. Iowa State 30-8
GROUP H
Texas def. Central Michigan 30-3
Texas def. WashU 30-5
Texas def. Butler 30-7
Butler def. WashU 30-8
Butler def. Central Michigan 26-21
Central Michigan def. WashU 29-17
Gold Bracket
Finals
Wisconsin Red- 27, Michigan-31
Semi-finals
Illinois- 20, Michigan- 27
Wisconsin Red- 27, Texas- 20
Quarterfinals
Wisconsin White- 23, Michigan- 27
Minnesota- 22, Illinois- 27
Colorado I- 16, Texas- 28
Wisconsin Red- 23, Northwestern- 20
Silver Bracket
Finals
Marquette- 28, Michigan State- 16
Semi-finals
Ferris State- 19, Michigan State- 21
Marquette- 22, Colorado II- 21
Quarterfinals
St. Louis- 18, Ferris State- 23
Michigan State 28, Butler-15
Miami (OH) 18, Marquette-30
Colorado II- 23, UW-Milwaukee- 20
Bronze Bracket
Finals
Delaware- 27, Central Michigan- 18
Semi-finals
Rutgers- 19, Delaware- 26
UW-Whitewater- 22, Central Michigan- 24
Quarterfinals
DePaul- 19, Central Michigan-30
Rutgers-21, Loyola-16
Delaware-28, Dayton-16
Western Michigan- 17, UW-Whitewater-28
Copper Bracket
Finals
Grand Valley- 26, Iowa State-18
Semi-finals
Northern Iowa- 21, Iowa State- 26
Grand Valley- 30, Southern Illinois- 11
Quarterfinals
Southern Illinois- 26, Illinois Tech- 24
Valparaiso- 17, Northern Iowa- 24
Iowa State- 26, Washington-St. Louis- 23
Grand Valley- 30, Eastern Michigan- 15
Wisconsin White def. Miami (OH) 29-14
Wisconsin White def. Loyola 25-11
Wisconsin White def. Southern Illinois 30-2
Miami (OH) def. Loyola 26-20
Miami (OH) def. Southern Illinois 25-11
Loyola def. Southern Illinois 29-12
GROUP B
Michigan def. Rutgers 29-18
Michigan def. Illinois Tech 30-2
Marquette def. Illinois Tech 30-3
Marquette def. Illinois 26-23
Rutgers def. Illinois Tech 30-4
Rutgers def. Marquette 26-25
GROUP C
Minnesota def. Delaware 26-20
Minnesota def. Colorado II 28-16
Minnesota def. Grand Valley 29-15
Colorado II def. Grand Valley 26-20
Colorado II def. Delaware 26-19
Delaware def. Grand Valley 25-22
GROUP D
Illinois def. UW Milwaukee 29-13
Illinois def. Dayton 30-8
Illinois def. Eastern Michigan 30-4
Dayton def. Eastern Michigan 29-11
UW Milwaukee def. Eastern Michigan29-13
UW Milwaukee def. Dayton 30-13
GROUP E
Wisconsin Red def. Ferris State 27-14
Wisconsin Red def. Western Michigan 30-4
Wisconsin Red def. Valparaiso 30-9
Ferris State def. Valparaiso 30-11
Ferris State def. Western Michigan 30-11
Western Michigan def. Valparaiso 21-20
GROUP F
UW Whitewater def. Northern Iowa 25-18
Northwestern def. SLU 28-10
Northwestern def. UW Whitewater 30-3
Northwestern def. Northern Iowa 30-7
SLU def. Northern Iowa 29-10
SLU def. UW Whitewater 26-14
GROUP G
Michigan State def. Depaul 30-15
Michigan State def. Iowa State 24-23
Depaul def. Iowa State 20-18
Colorado def. Michigan State 30-14
Colorado def. Depaul 28-15
Colorado def. Iowa State 30-8
GROUP H
Texas def. Central Michigan 30-3
Texas def. WashU 30-5
Texas def. Butler 30-7
Butler def. WashU 30-8
Butler def. Central Michigan 26-21
Central Michigan def. WashU 29-17
Gold Bracket
Finals
Wisconsin Red- 27, Michigan-31
Semi-finals
Illinois- 20, Michigan- 27
Wisconsin Red- 27, Texas- 20
Quarterfinals
Wisconsin White- 23, Michigan- 27
Minnesota- 22, Illinois- 27
Colorado I- 16, Texas- 28
Wisconsin Red- 23, Northwestern- 20
Silver Bracket
Finals
Marquette- 28, Michigan State- 16
Semi-finals
Ferris State- 19, Michigan State- 21
Marquette- 22, Colorado II- 21
Quarterfinals
St. Louis- 18, Ferris State- 23
Michigan State 28, Butler-15
Miami (OH) 18, Marquette-30
Colorado II- 23, UW-Milwaukee- 20
Bronze Bracket
Finals
Delaware- 27, Central Michigan- 18
Semi-finals
Rutgers- 19, Delaware- 26
UW-Whitewater- 22, Central Michigan- 24
Quarterfinals
DePaul- 19, Central Michigan-30
Rutgers-21, Loyola-16
Delaware-28, Dayton-16
Western Michigan- 17, UW-Whitewater-28
Copper Bracket
Finals
Grand Valley- 26, Iowa State-18
Semi-finals
Northern Iowa- 21, Iowa State- 26
Grand Valley- 30, Southern Illinois- 11
Quarterfinals
Southern Illinois- 26, Illinois Tech- 24
Valparaiso- 17, Northern Iowa- 24
Iowa State- 26, Washington-St. Louis- 23
Grand Valley- 30, Eastern Michigan- 15
By Stephen Watson
Athletic Communications Coordinator
Thirty-two teams all across the country battling it out during a span of 48 hours for the same purposethe love of the game. The fourth annual Badger Classic held in the Nielsen Tennis Stadium at the University of Wisconsin was nothing short of successful. Last year, the Badger Classic was recognized as the finest club tennis tournament of the year, with a combination of tennis and time honored memories. With some of the top ranked club tennis programs from around the United States competing, the tournament featured pool play on Friday and a bracket set up on the second day.
It's exciting to see club players from our Midwest area as well as across the country enjoying the competitive tennis, social aspect and great camaraderie around this tournament, USTA Midwest Coordinator Steve Wise said. The Badger Classic is an event that is run by club players for club players.
Depending on how the teams performed in their round-robin pool play, they advanced to either the gold, silver, bronze or copper bracket. With the vast array of competition, several teams had winning records, but were unable to make it to the gold bracket because of their overall games. In club tennis, every individual match matters to the overall score and the team with the highest number of games in a dual match will move on.
After the first day of competition, the strongest teams of each pool prevailed to the gold bracket. Because the University of Wisconsin was the host of the tournament, they combined their talent to form two competitive teams. Aside from both the Wisconsin-Red and Wisconsin-White teams, Michigan, Northwestern, Illinois, Colorado, Minnesota and last years national champions, Texas, took part in the strongest bracket.
With limited hours of sleep due to competition continuing until after midnight, day two of tennis began bright and early in Wisconsins capital. The gold bracket featured several great matchups considering all of the teams were nationally ranked at the end of last season. One of the main upsets occurred in the Big Ten rivalry between Michigan and Wisconsin. The Wisconsin-White team struggled early on in doubles play, but was able to bounce back in their singles matches. Despite getting two games back in their mixed doubles match, the Wolverines prevailed and pulled off an impressive victory over a Badgers team that finished in the top five in the country last season.
The semi-finals of the top bracket were composed of Wisconsin-Red, Michigan, Texas and Illinois. The other Badgers squad pulled off a notable victory over Texas, the 2008 national champions of club tennis. On the other half of the draw, Michigan breezed past the Illini with a score of 27-20. After beating the Wisconsin-White team three hours before, Michigan once again found themselves in a matchup against the Badger faithful.
The finals of the Badger Classic exemplified the competitive aspect of club tennis. With the Nielsen Tennis Stadium draped in cardinal red and white, Michigan had plans of their own in route to holding the winning trophy. Going into the mixed doubles match up four games, the Wolverines could taste the championships in their mouths. Attempting to protect their home turf, the Badgers won the four games necessary to send the finals of the Badger Classic into a super-tiebreaker. If there is a tie in overall games at the end of the mixed doubles match, a seven point, super-tiebreaker is played to decide the winner of the match. Despite losing the last four games of the mixed doubles match in overtime, the Wolverines outlasted the Badgers 7-4 in the tiebreaker. While it was difficult for Badger fans to watch the maze and blue celebrate in Madison, it was evident that both teams enjoyed the competition.
Even though 24 of the 32 teams did not advance to the gold bracket, their desire to win was not unnoticed. In the finals of the silver bracket, Marquette only lost one of their five matches against Michigan State, defeating the Spartans 28-16. The bronze bracket featured Delaware and Central Michigan. After a close call with UW-Whitewater in the semi-finals, the Chippewas fell to the Blue Hens 27-18. In the last bracket of the tournament, Grand Valley State won four out of five matches with authority, defeating Iowa State 26-17.
The Badger Classic is a premier event for club tennis in the country Steve Wise said. The Wisconsin Club team puts a great deal of time, energy and money into what has become one of the most organized and fun events for our
club players.
With a champion determined and another Badger Classic completed, expectations were definitely met at this renown tournament. With teams from twelve different states across the country participating in this annual event, the Badger Classic is more than just a club tennis tournament. Its a place to create friendships, strengthen team unity and most importantly, a place to have fun.
Athletic Communications Coordinator
Thirty-two teams all across the country battling it out during a span of 48 hours for the same purposethe love of the game. The fourth annual Badger Classic held in the Nielsen Tennis Stadium at the University of Wisconsin was nothing short of successful. Last year, the Badger Classic was recognized as the finest club tennis tournament of the year, with a combination of tennis and time honored memories. With some of the top ranked club tennis programs from around the United States competing, the tournament featured pool play on Friday and a bracket set up on the second day.
It's exciting to see club players from our Midwest area as well as across the country enjoying the competitive tennis, social aspect and great camaraderie around this tournament, USTA Midwest Coordinator Steve Wise said. The Badger Classic is an event that is run by club players for club players.
Depending on how the teams performed in their round-robin pool play, they advanced to either the gold, silver, bronze or copper bracket. With the vast array of competition, several teams had winning records, but were unable to make it to the gold bracket because of their overall games. In club tennis, every individual match matters to the overall score and the team with the highest number of games in a dual match will move on.
After the first day of competition, the strongest teams of each pool prevailed to the gold bracket. Because the University of Wisconsin was the host of the tournament, they combined their talent to form two competitive teams. Aside from both the Wisconsin-Red and Wisconsin-White teams, Michigan, Northwestern, Illinois, Colorado, Minnesota and last years national champions, Texas, took part in the strongest bracket.
With limited hours of sleep due to competition continuing until after midnight, day two of tennis began bright and early in Wisconsins capital. The gold bracket featured several great matchups considering all of the teams were nationally ranked at the end of last season. One of the main upsets occurred in the Big Ten rivalry between Michigan and Wisconsin. The Wisconsin-White team struggled early on in doubles play, but was able to bounce back in their singles matches. Despite getting two games back in their mixed doubles match, the Wolverines prevailed and pulled off an impressive victory over a Badgers team that finished in the top five in the country last season.
The semi-finals of the top bracket were composed of Wisconsin-Red, Michigan, Texas and Illinois. The other Badgers squad pulled off a notable victory over Texas, the 2008 national champions of club tennis. On the other half of the draw, Michigan breezed past the Illini with a score of 27-20. After beating the Wisconsin-White team three hours before, Michigan once again found themselves in a matchup against the Badger faithful.
The finals of the Badger Classic exemplified the competitive aspect of club tennis. With the Nielsen Tennis Stadium draped in cardinal red and white, Michigan had plans of their own in route to holding the winning trophy. Going into the mixed doubles match up four games, the Wolverines could taste the championships in their mouths. Attempting to protect their home turf, the Badgers won the four games necessary to send the finals of the Badger Classic into a super-tiebreaker. If there is a tie in overall games at the end of the mixed doubles match, a seven point, super-tiebreaker is played to decide the winner of the match. Despite losing the last four games of the mixed doubles match in overtime, the Wolverines outlasted the Badgers 7-4 in the tiebreaker. While it was difficult for Badger fans to watch the maze and blue celebrate in Madison, it was evident that both teams enjoyed the competition.
Even though 24 of the 32 teams did not advance to the gold bracket, their desire to win was not unnoticed. In the finals of the silver bracket, Marquette only lost one of their five matches against Michigan State, defeating the Spartans 28-16. The bronze bracket featured Delaware and Central Michigan. After a close call with UW-Whitewater in the semi-finals, the Chippewas fell to the Blue Hens 27-18. In the last bracket of the tournament, Grand Valley State won four out of five matches with authority, defeating Iowa State 26-17.
The Badger Classic is a premier event for club tennis in the country Steve Wise said. The Wisconsin Club team puts a great deal of time, energy and money into what has become one of the most organized and fun events for our
club players.
With a champion determined and another Badger Classic completed, expectations were definitely met at this renown tournament. With teams from twelve different states across the country participating in this annual event, the Badger Classic is more than just a club tennis tournament. Its a place to create friendships, strengthen team unity and most importantly, a place to have fun.
By Stephen Watson
Athletic Communications Coordinator
White- John Smits, Justin Lewis, Adam Pollack, Mick Kelly, Mike Peterson, Caitlin Kammerait, Lindsay Hughes, Emily Warner, Hillary Friedman, Taylor Stamm
Red- Scott Shepardson, Greg Weinman, Scott Pieser, Kevin Johnson, Greg Kipnis, Lauren Smyczek, Amanda Von Horn, Laura Miller, Whitney Hansen, Sara MacKay
In the Fourth Annual Badger Classic Held at Nielsen Tennis Center, both teams from the University of Wisconsin Club Tennis program were undefeated in the first day of competition. The tournament began bright and early in Madison with matches beginning at eight and not finishing until midnight.
In the first round of tennis, the white team came to play
against Southern Illinois. Going into mixed doubles, the Badgers refused to give up a single game to the Salukis. Despite getting broken on his serve, Adam Pollack alongside partner Taylor Stamm closed the deal against the Salukis with a 6-2 win. The red team, lead by the doubles duo of Kevin Johnson and Scott Pieser, defeated Valparaiso by a score of 30-9. Johnson and Pieser defeated the the Crusaders 6-0 and the Scott Shepardson and Laura Miller went on to pull out the mixed doubles win in a tiebreaker.
"To have any player on our line up be successful in any match speaks volumes as the the depth of both rosters," president Kevin Rolston said. "I'm confident putting almost anyone into any spot because I know they can all pull it off."
While the second round of play featured tougher opponents, the final outcome was the same as the white team held Loyola to 11 games and the red team beat Western Michigan 30-4. In the white team's match, Lindsay Hughes and Emily Warner started the Badgers off on the right foot with a 6-0 win. With only one member of the team losing, the white team moved to the finals of their pool to face Miami-Ohio. The other Badger squad won its most convincing match of the day against Western Michigan. Badger newcomer Lauren Smyczek was a stand out in her 6-0 win, and the mixed doubles team of Kevin Johnson Laura Miller closed off their match with a bagel 6-0 victory.
The final acton of play on Friday featured matchups of undefeated teams in both pools. The white Wisconsin team matched up against Miami-Ohio, but rolled over them with four of five wins in their matches. The prominent Chi-town doubles team of John Smits and Justin Lewis set the tone for the rest of the match with a 6-2 win. Mick Kelly also pulled off an impressive victory in his singles match, defeating his opponent 6-1 and helping the team to a 29-14 win. In their closest matchup of the day, the read team bounced back after losing the women's doubles match and defeated Ferris State by a score of 27-14. With superb doubles from Gregg Weinman and Scott Shepardson and Greg Kipnis getting it done in his singles match, the Badgers won their pool and moved to the gold bracket on Saturday.
"I think it showed a lot of what this team has to offer by coming back after a tough loss at women's doubles," captain Justin Fielkow said. "I definitely think we are a force to be reckoned with going into flight play on Saturday if we can come together like we did today."
Tomorrow's gold bracket will feature some of the strongest club tennis teams in the country. Defending National Champions, the University of Texas, will be a potential matchup if the Wisconsin red team can get past Northwestern in the first round. The White team will face a very good Michigan team in the first round.
With both Badger teams in the top eight spots, Wisconsin could have the best opportunity to defend their title going into the second day of the Badger Classic.
Athletic Communications Coordinator
White- John Smits, Justin Lewis, Adam Pollack, Mick Kelly, Mike Peterson, Caitlin Kammerait, Lindsay Hughes, Emily Warner, Hillary Friedman, Taylor Stamm
Red- Scott Shepardson, Greg Weinman, Scott Pieser, Kevin Johnson, Greg Kipnis, Lauren Smyczek, Amanda Von Horn, Laura Miller, Whitney Hansen, Sara MacKay
In the Fourth Annual Badger Classic Held at Nielsen Tennis Center, both teams from the University of Wisconsin Club Tennis program were undefeated in the first day of competition. The tournament began bright and early in Madison with matches beginning at eight and not finishing until midnight.
In the first round of tennis, the white team came to play
against Southern Illinois. Going into mixed doubles, the Badgers refused to give up a single game to the Salukis. Despite getting broken on his serve, Adam Pollack alongside partner Taylor Stamm closed the deal against the Salukis with a 6-2 win. The red team, lead by the doubles duo of Kevin Johnson and Scott Pieser, defeated Valparaiso by a score of 30-9. Johnson and Pieser defeated the the Crusaders 6-0 and the Scott Shepardson and Laura Miller went on to pull out the mixed doubles win in a tiebreaker.
"To have any player on our line up be successful in any match speaks volumes as the the depth of both rosters," president Kevin Rolston said. "I'm confident putting almost anyone into any spot because I know they can all pull it off."
While the second round of play featured tougher opponents, the final outcome was the same as the white team held Loyola to 11 games and the red team beat Western Michigan 30-4. In the white team's match, Lindsay Hughes and Emily Warner started the Badgers off on the right foot with a 6-0 win. With only one member of the team losing, the white team moved to the finals of their pool to face Miami-Ohio. The other Badger squad won its most convincing match of the day against Western Michigan. Badger newcomer Lauren Smyczek was a stand out in her 6-0 win, and the mixed doubles team of Kevin Johnson Laura Miller closed off their match with a bagel 6-0 victory.
The final acton of play on Friday featured matchups of undefeated teams in both pools. The white Wisconsin team matched up against Miami-Ohio, but rolled over them with four of five wins in their matches. The prominent Chi-town doubles team of John Smits and Justin Lewis set the tone for the rest of the match with a 6-2 win. Mick Kelly also pulled off an impressive victory in his singles match, defeating his opponent 6-1 and helping the team to a 29-14 win. In their closest matchup of the day, the read team bounced back after losing the women's doubles match and defeated Ferris State by a score of 27-14. With superb doubles from Gregg Weinman and Scott Shepardson and Greg Kipnis getting it done in his singles match, the Badgers won their pool and moved to the gold bracket on Saturday.
"I think it showed a lot of what this team has to offer by coming back after a tough loss at women's doubles," captain Justin Fielkow said. "I definitely think we are a force to be reckoned with going into flight play on Saturday if we can come together like we did today."
Tomorrow's gold bracket will feature some of the strongest club tennis teams in the country. Defending National Champions, the University of Texas, will be a potential matchup if the Wisconsin red team can get past Northwestern in the first round. The White team will face a very good Michigan team in the first round.
With both Badger teams in the top eight spots, Wisconsin could have the best opportunity to defend their title going into the second day of the Badger Classic.
September 20-21, 2008
By Stephen Watson
Athletic Communications Coordinator
In the first matches of the 2008-2009 club tennis season, the University of Wisconsin placed No. 4 out of eight teams when they traveled to the twin cities last weekend. The Badgers went with a completely different line-up from the 2007 team that won the invitational a year ago. Led by senior and vice president Justin Fielkow, the Badgers went with a particularly young group of players featuring two freshman and three sophomores.
The decision to go with a young, inexperienced line-up enabled the vice president to work around lineups and sub each of the players in and out throughout the tournament.
"My goal for the first couple of matches was to give everyone the opportunity to play singles and doubles," Fielkow said. "If someone was struggling, then one of the other players was ready to step up and thats what helped us succeed against some of the teams early on."
In the first match of the pool-play, UW breezed through Minnesotas fourth ranked team with a score of 30-9. Fielkow and freshman Scott Shepardson started the match off on a high note with a win and sophomores Kristina Guttormsen and Courtney Hansen echoed their actions with another victory. The Badgers took control of the match with the singles play of freshman Bob Nelson and sophomore Amy Carswell. Nelson, making his first appearance as a Badger, was called up from the recreational team and delivered impressively for the team all weekend.
The next two matches ended victoriously and sent the Badgers to the semi-finals of the tournament after winning their pool in dramatic fashion. In their best outing, UW destroyed North Dakota 30-5 without dropping a set, but had a heated battle in the quarterfinals against North Dakota State that ended with a 29-21 victory. Amy Carswell stepped up big after Courtney Hansen went down 4-1 in singles. The sophomore and Wisconsin native battled back from a three game deficit and lost the match in a tie-breaker 5-6.With a win in mens doubles, mens singles and loss in both womens singles and doubles, Fielkow and Guttormsen pulled out the mixed doubles point to place the team atop their pool. After the success during the pool play, the Badgers had their sights set on a tough Minnesota B squad in the semi-finals.
After impressively winning their first three matches, Wisconsin finally faced their match of the tournament. Despite back to back losses in the doubles, Carswell and Shepardson won 6-1 and 6-2 respectively. After the opening four matches, the mixed doubles match featuring Shepardson and Guttormsen had three games to work with. Minnesota fought hard and defeated the Badgers in the set to send it into a super-tiebreaker. The tiebreaker went back and forth but Minnesota B outlasted UW 7-4 to move on to the finals against the Minnesota A team.;We knew they were going to be a tough team, but I thought we had the talent to get to the finals Fielkow said. ;We could have given our mixed doubles team another few games of comfort, so that was the toughest part about the comeback win for the Gophers. Despite the loss, it was good experience for the young team and it should help them in the future with club tennis.
The heartbreaking loss put a damper on the confidence for the rest of the tournament as the Badgers fell to Marquette shortly after by four games 23-19. It was a tough way to end the weekend; however each of the players were able to be competitive early in the season. The future looks bright for the Wisconsin club tennis team that continues to improve every season with new talent. Next up for the Badgers is on September 28th when UW travels to Michigan to compete in an exhibition match.
By Stephen Watson
Athletic Communications Coordinator
In the first matches of the 2008-2009 club tennis season, the University of Wisconsin placed No. 4 out of eight teams when they traveled to the twin cities last weekend. The Badgers went with a completely different line-up from the 2007 team that won the invitational a year ago. Led by senior and vice president Justin Fielkow, the Badgers went with a particularly young group of players featuring two freshman and three sophomores.
The decision to go with a young, inexperienced line-up enabled the vice president to work around lineups and sub each of the players in and out throughout the tournament.
"My goal for the first couple of matches was to give everyone the opportunity to play singles and doubles," Fielkow said. "If someone was struggling, then one of the other players was ready to step up and thats what helped us succeed against some of the teams early on."
In the first match of the pool-play, UW breezed through Minnesotas fourth ranked team with a score of 30-9. Fielkow and freshman Scott Shepardson started the match off on a high note with a win and sophomores Kristina Guttormsen and Courtney Hansen echoed their actions with another victory. The Badgers took control of the match with the singles play of freshman Bob Nelson and sophomore Amy Carswell. Nelson, making his first appearance as a Badger, was called up from the recreational team and delivered impressively for the team all weekend.
The next two matches ended victoriously and sent the Badgers to the semi-finals of the tournament after winning their pool in dramatic fashion. In their best outing, UW destroyed North Dakota 30-5 without dropping a set, but had a heated battle in the quarterfinals against North Dakota State that ended with a 29-21 victory. Amy Carswell stepped up big after Courtney Hansen went down 4-1 in singles. The sophomore and Wisconsin native battled back from a three game deficit and lost the match in a tie-breaker 5-6.With a win in mens doubles, mens singles and loss in both womens singles and doubles, Fielkow and Guttormsen pulled out the mixed doubles point to place the team atop their pool. After the success during the pool play, the Badgers had their sights set on a tough Minnesota B squad in the semi-finals.
After impressively winning their first three matches, Wisconsin finally faced their match of the tournament. Despite back to back losses in the doubles, Carswell and Shepardson won 6-1 and 6-2 respectively. After the opening four matches, the mixed doubles match featuring Shepardson and Guttormsen had three games to work with. Minnesota fought hard and defeated the Badgers in the set to send it into a super-tiebreaker. The tiebreaker went back and forth but Minnesota B outlasted UW 7-4 to move on to the finals against the Minnesota A team.;We knew they were going to be a tough team, but I thought we had the talent to get to the finals Fielkow said. ;We could have given our mixed doubles team another few games of comfort, so that was the toughest part about the comeback win for the Gophers. Despite the loss, it was good experience for the young team and it should help them in the future with club tennis.
The heartbreaking loss put a damper on the confidence for the rest of the tournament as the Badgers fell to Marquette shortly after by four games 23-19. It was a tough way to end the weekend; however each of the players were able to be competitive early in the season. The future looks bright for the Wisconsin club tennis team that continues to improve every season with new talent. Next up for the Badgers is on September 28th when UW travels to Michigan to compete in an exhibition match.
Thanks to everyone who attended tryouts! It was a long week with many great players. The teams are now up under the "Team Roster" button on the right. Congratulations to those who made the team, and to those who didn't, we'd love to see you tryout in the Spring.
Wisconsin Club tennis is set to begin the 2008-2009 Season.... The team comes back with 95% of its players returning and looks to be a powerful force throughout the season.
New players: If you haven't done so already please fill out the player information form under the membership section of the website. If you have any additional questions please send an e-mail to team recruitment chair Drew Hackbarth Ahackbarth@wisc.edu. Tryouts will be the 2nd week of school. We look forward to your attendance and participation in the 2008-2009 Wisconsin Club Tennis Team.
Wisconsin Club tennis is set to begin the 2008-2009 Season.... The team comes back with 95% of its players returning and looks to be a powerful force throughout the season.
New players: If you haven't done so already please fill out the player information form under the membership section of the website. If you have any additional questions please send an e-mail to team recruitment chair Drew Hackbarth Ahackbarth@wisc.edu. Tryouts will be the 2nd week of school. We look forward to your attendance and participation in the 2008-2009 Wisconsin Club Tennis Team.