Early exit: Badgers eliminated from Big Ten tournament

Thursday, April 28

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Early exit: Badgers eliminated from Big Ten tournament

April 28, 2016 | Men's Tennis

Wisconsin falls to Nebraska, 4-2

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Wisconsin men's tennis team saw its run in the Big Ten tournament come to an early end on Thursday afternoon, as Nebraska eliminated the Badgers by a score of 4-2, redeeming a close loss against UW earlier this spring.

After dropping the doubles point, the eighth-seeded Badgers (14-9, 4-7 Big Ten) sparked a resurgence in singles play against the ninth-seeded Huskers (14-12, 4-7 Big Ten), but were unable to pull off the comeback win, ending their tournament run in heartbreaking fashion.

"Tough way to end the season today," said head coach Danny Westerman. "We fought hard, but Nebraska was better than us this morning."

Wisconsin fell behind early after failing to clinch the doubles point. Nebraska's Andrew Dzulynsky and Bradford Zitsch bested junior John Zordani and sophomore Darius Mackenzie at the No. 3 spot, 6-2. The Huskers secured the overall point after Marc Herrmann and Scott Elsass defeated sophomore Chema Carranza and senior Jakhongir Jalalov, 7-5, at the No. 2 spot.

The Badgers began to find their footing in singles play, as sophomore Lamar Remy put UW on the board after cruising to a 6-0, 7-5 win over Herrmann at the No. 2 position.

John Zordani briefly put Wisconsin up at 2-1 after defeating Tomislav Antoljak, 6-4, 6-4, at the No. 6 slot, but the Huskers tied it up once Chema Carranza fell to Toby Boyer on court three, 7-5, 6-4.

With the remaining three matches all going into third sets, the Badgers fought tooth and nail against the Huskers to claw their way back to a lead, but despite valiant efforts on all three courts, UW was unable to regain momentum.

First, Darius Mackenzie dropped his match to Bradford Zitsch, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, on court five. Nebraska delivered its final blow on court one, where Dusty Boyer prevailed over Josef Dodridge in a third-set tiebreaker, winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) and effectively eliminating the Badgers from tournament play.

The possibility to continue postseason play looks murky for UW, who could potentially clinch a NCAA berth to extend the season. However, the Badgers exit the Big Ten tournament on a six-match losing streak, hurting their chances for a national tournament appearance.

Despite a disappointing end, the future looks bright for the young team. In a season filled with firsts, Wisconsin accomplished goals no one thought plausible prior to the start of the season. Setting the record for the best start in program history at 13-1, maintaining a spot in the national rankings all season for the first time in two years, and boasting a record of 10-4 at home, the Badgers look poised to achieve new heights next fall.

"We made a lot of progress as a program this season and now we know what it takes to be better in conference play," said Westerman. "We're motivated to learn from this season and take another step forward next season."

Big Ten Tournament – First Round
Results – Apr. 28

MEN'S SINGLES:
1. Dusty Boyer (NEB) def. Josef Dodridge (UW), 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5)
2. Lamar Remy (UW) def. Marc Herrmann (NEB), 6-0, 7-5
3. Toby Boyer (NEB) def. Chema Carranza (UW), 7-5, 6-4
4. Osgar O'Hoisin (UW) vs. Andrew Dzulynsky (NEB), 6-4, 2-6, 5-3, unfinished
5. Bradford Zitsch (NEB) def. Darius Mackenzie (UW), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
6. John Zordani (UW) def. Tomislav Antoljak (NEB), 6-4, 6-4

MEN'S DOUBLES:
1. Josef Dodridge/Lamar Remy (UW) vs. Dusty Boyer/Toby Boyer (NEB), 6-5, unfinished
2. Marc Herrmann/Scott Elsass (NEB) def. Chema Carranza/Jakhongir Jalalov (UW), 7-5
3. Andrew Dzulynsky/Bradford Zitsch (NEB) def. Darius Mackenzie/John Zordani (UW), 6-2

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,3,6,5,1)