March 23, 2012

Playing at home for the first time since Feb. 25, the 44th-ranked Minnesota tennis team picked up its second win in Big Ten play by sweeping Michigan State 7-0 at the Baseline Tennis Center on Friday night. The Gophers, who had both of their matches on the West Coast rained out last week, have now won six straight matches after a 1-3 start.

All three doubles matches were decided by five or more points.

The first group to finish was No. 3, where Juan Pablo Ramirez and Leandro Toledo gave Minnesota the advantage with an 8-2 win. The Spartans negated the match-opening victory with an upset at the second spot moments later when Harry Jadun and Austin Brooks bested No. 57 Phillip Arndt and Jack Hamburg 8-3.

The Gophers clinched the first point when 23rd-ranked Rok Bonin and Julian Dehn improved to 9-0 in dual-match play with an 8-2 win at No. 1. The duo conceded a point while holding serve just one time throughout the entire match.

No. 88-ranked freshman Leandro Toledo continued the impressive start to his collegiate career with a win at No. 2 to make it a two-point match. He is now 7-2. Senior Phillip Arndt made it 3-0 in the match’s final two-set match, topping Denis Bogatov of MSU 6-2, 6-2.

Though the Gophers were just one point away from a win, it would take them a long time to earn the match-clinching point.

Freshman Mathieu Froment secured the win at No. 6 by dispatching Gijs Linders in three sets, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3. After Froment won, Rok Bonin advanced to 8-1 by coming back from one set down at the top position to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The sweep was then completed as Hamburg and Dehn ended their third sets simultaneously. After losing his first set, Hamburg rallied to win 6-2 and 7-5. Dehn recovered from losing a 7-2 second-set tiebreaker by winning 10-6 in his match tiebreaking set.

Minnesota is now 5-0 in home matches.

Michigan, the No. 28th-ranked team in the nation will visit the Gophers on Sunday at noon. Following that match, the Gophers will travel to No. 52 Northwestern on March 31 and to No. 15 Illinois on April 1. 

Mar. 23, 2012
Baseline Tennis Center • Minneapolis, Minn.
No. 44 Minnesota 7, Michigan State 0
 
Singles Competition:
1. Rok Bonin (MINN) def. Aaron Pfister (MSU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. No. 88 Leandro Toledo (MINN) def. Ronnie Hulewicz (MSU) 6-2, 6-3
3. Phillip Arndt (MINN) def.  Denis Bogatov (MSU) 6-2, 6-2
4. Julian Dehn (MINN) def. Austin Brooks (MSU) 6-3, 6-7 (2), 1-0 (6)
5. Jack Hamburg (MINN) def. Drew Lied (MSU) 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
6. Mathieu Froment (MINN) def. Gijs Linders (MSU) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3

Doubles Competition:
1. No. 23 Rok Bonin/Julian Dehn (MINN) def. Aaron Pfister/Drew Lied (MSU) 8-2
2. Harry Jadun/Austin Brooks (MSU) def. No. 57 Phillip Arndt/Jack Hamburg (MINN) 8-3
3. Juan Pablo Ramirez/Leandro Toledo (MINN) def. Denis Bogatov/Gijs Linders (MSU) 8-2

Match Notes:
No. 44 Minnesota 7-3 (2-0 Big Ten)
Michigan State 11-8 (0-2 Big Ten)
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (2,3,6,1,5,4)