The 23rd-ranked University of Minnesota men's tennis team lost its first Big Ten match today, falling 7-0 to second-ranked Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The Golden Gophers (12-4, 2-1 Big Ten) went 0-3 in doubles play and 0-6 in singles action to lose their first conference dual since the April 22, 2006 at Illinois. The victory extended OSU's home win streak to 48 matches, dating back to the 2003 season. The Buckeyes (15-1, 3-0) have claimed the last four meetings against the Golden Gophers.
In doubles play, wins for the Buckeyes came at the No. 2 spot where Devin Mullings and Chris Klingemann, the nation's 16th-ranked doubles pair, downed Raoul Schwark and Mikey Kantar, 8-5. Steven Moneke and Bryan Koniecko won their match at No. 3 doubles against Chi-Lang Pham and Andres Osorio, 8-6. Ohio State collected the doubles point for the 42nd time in its last 46 matches.
The Buckeyes swept all six singles matches in straight sets. Moneke, ranked 10th in the country, beat Osorio 7-5, 6-2 at the top singles spot, while No. 25 Koniecko defeated 93rd-ranked Schwark, 6-3, 6-4 at No. 2.
Mullings, ranked 34th in the nation, cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 win against D.J. Geatz at the No. 3 singles, while Klingemann, the nation's 75th-ranked singles player, won his match at No. 5 singles against Mikey Kantar, 6-3, 6-2. Drew Eberly defeated Brian Lipinski, 6-2, 6-2, at the No. 6 singles spot. Opposing teams have managed to take only 43 of 221 singles sets from the Buckeyes.
The Maroon and Gold continues Big Ten play next weekend with home matches against Michigan and Penn State on March 31 and April 1 at the Baseline Tennis Center.
#23 Minnesota at #2 Ohio State
March 25, 2007
Stickney Tennis Center
Columbus, Ohio
Singles
1. #10 Steven Moneke (OSU) def. Andres Osorio (MINN), 7-5, 6-2
2. #25 Bryan Koniecko (OSU) def. #93 Raoul Schwark (MINN), 6-3, 6-4
3. #34 Devin Mullings (OSU) def. D.J. Geatz (MINN), 6-0, 6-0
4. Justin Kronauge (OSU) def. Nich Edlefsen (MINN), 6-0, 6-1
5. #75 Chris Klingemann (OSU) def. Mikey Kantar (MINN), 6-3, 6-2
6. Drew Eberly (OSU) def. Brain Lipinski (MINN), 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
1. Eberly/Kronauge (OSU) def. Sion Wilkins/Geatz (MINN), 9-8 (6)
2. #16 Mullings/Klingemann (OSU) def. Schwark/Kantar (MINN), 8-5
3. Moneke/Koniecko (OSU) def. Chi-Lang Pham/Osorio (MINN), 8-6
#2 Ohio State def. #23 Minnesota, 7-0
