Badgers split weekend slate after falling in Tennessee

The Wisconsin men’s tennis team finished a mixed weekend with a loss in Tennessee. The Badgers dropped a close match to Middle Tennessee State on Saturday. This result follows a strong performance at home against Pennsylvania on Friday. The squad now sits at 6-6 on the year. They remain 0-1 in Big Ten play and have yet to win an away contest this season.

Friday’s match marked a historic shift in the rivalry. Wisconsin hosted the Quakers, a team with a 4-7 record, at the Nielsen Tennis Center. The Badgers had never defeated this opponent in program history. Last year’s meeting ended with a 4-3 loss for Wisconsin. This time around, the home team dominated with a 6-1 victory.

Wisconsin took an early lead in doubles. Senior Josef Dodridge and junior Osgar O'Hoisin formed the No. 1 pair. They won 6-1 and are still unbeaten as a team this season. Sophomores Daniel Soyfer and Chase Colton added another win with a 6-2 score. The Badgers then won all but one of the singles matches.

Colton, Soyfer, and Dodridge each secured straight set victories. Freshman Jesper Freimuth also won in straight sets with a 6-2, 6-3 score. O'Hoisin required three sets to close out the match. He finished with a 7-5, 4-6, 10-2 result to seal the win.

The team traveled to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to face Middle Tennessee State. The Blue Raiders hold a 10-2 record and had not lost at home this season. They had already shut out five other opponents. Wisconsin started the contest with a strong showing in doubles.

O'Hoisin and Dodridge defeated Chris Edge and Tom Moonen 6-4. Senior Chema Carranza and Freimuth then beat Glan Issa and Jan Porteset 6-2. This gave Wisconsin the doubles point. In singles, Soyfer won 6-4, 6-3 to improve his individual record to 10-0 this season. Middle Tennessee State then won the next three matches to take a 3-2 lead.

Dodridge tied the match at 3-3 with a 7-6, 6-1 win. This left the deciding match up to Carranza and Moonen at No. 2 singles. Carranza lost the first set in a 7-6 tiebreak. He then won the second set 6-1. In the final set, Carranza led 5-4. Moonen rallied to win it 7-5 and clinch the match for the Blue Raiders.

Head coach Danny Westerman said the loss was tough but useful for the team's growth. He noted that the squad needs to keep working. Westerman stated that they put themselves in these situations so they can eventually get over the hump. Wisconsin returns to the Nielsen Tennis Center next weekend. They will face Cornell and UW-Green Bay in a Sunday doubleheader.