Northwestern University Athletics
Michigan or Bust: 'Cats at Spartans, Wolverines
4/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 17, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - No. 52 Northwestern closes out the 2003 regular season this weekend at Michigan State and Michigan. NU, currently in a three-way tie for fifth place in the Big Ten, is 10-9 overall and 3-5 in conference play. If NU defeats both UM and MSU, it will likely earn the fifth seed and more importantly a first-round bye in next weekend's Big Ten Championship.
The 63rd-ranked Spartans welcome the Wildcats to East Lansing at 2 p.m. Friday. Like NU, MSU is 3-5 in the Big Ten, with wins against Michigan, Indiana and Iowa. Since upsetting then-No. 28 Indiana on April 6, the Spartans have dropped their last two (at Illinois and at Purdue). Eric Simonton has led the Spartans in conference competition. The junior has a 23-13 overall singles record, including a 7-1 Big Ten mark. Simonton also pairs with Cameron Marshall to form MSU's top doubles tandem. The duo is 16-10 overall, with a 10-7 record at the No. 1 spot.
No. 60 Michigan hosts NU at noon Central time Saturday at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines enter the weekend with a 7-12 overall record; they are currently last in the Big Ten with a 1-7 mark. Michigan also upended then-No. 28 Indiana-a team that defeated NU earlier this season-for its only Big Ten win. Sophomores Michael Rubin and David Anving have been strong throughout the season. Rubin is a team-best 23-11, while Anving is 15-11.
NU's Josh Axler (Huntington, N.Y./Walt Whitman) has been on a roll of late. The senior has won three straight conference matches at No. 3 singles, running his season record to 15-15. At 4-4 in Big Ten play, Axler is tied with sophomore Tommy Haus (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) for the best conference mark on the team. Hanus is also a team-best 20-13 overall.
NU returns home to host the 2003 Big Ten Men's Tennis Championship next weekend. The event will run from April 24-27 at the Vandy Christie Tennis Center.
