For I don't know how many years, OSU has been the dominant men's tennis program in the Big Ten. They are usually ranked in the top 5, and I don't even know how many straight titles they've won, or how many years it's been since Michigan has beaten them. It's been awhile.
But Michigan has steadily been getting closer under Coach Steinberg and today they finally broke through with a hard fought 4-3 victory. Won the doubles point and then got wins at #2, #3 and #4 singles to pull off the win. Senior Mattias Siimar clinched it at #4 with a 3 set victory, (those Estonians just understand the magnitude of this rivalry apparently). Won the final set 6-4 by winning the final 3 games.
They'll have to play OSU again to end the regular season, so this does not quite lock up a championship, but there's a good chance they'll move into the top 10, and for the moment they stand alone atop the Big Ten standings. Huge win for one of Michigan's most up-and-coming teams.
But Michigan has steadily been getting closer under Coach Steinberg and today they finally broke through with a hard fought 4-3 victory. Won the doubles point and then got wins at #2, #3 and #4 singles to pull off the win. Senior Mattias Siimar clinched it at #4 with a 3 set victory, (those Estonians just understand the magnitude of this rivalry apparently). Won the final set 6-4 by winning the final 3 games.
They'll have to play OSU again to end the regular season, so this does not quite lock up a championship, but there's a good chance they'll move into the top 10, and for the moment they stand alone atop the Big Ten standings. Huge win for one of Michigan's most up-and-coming teams.
