Big Ten Championships Await Men's Tennis
4/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 23, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. -
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This Week For The SpartansBig Ten Champ. April 24-27 EvanstonQuarterfinals Purdue 2 p.m.
No. 59 Michigan State Spartans(14-11 Overall, 5-5 Big Ten)Head coach: Gene OrlandoCareer (15th Season): 169-209MSU (12th): 138-169Assistant: Al Polonyi, First SeasonNo. 46 Purdue Boilermakers(13-7 Overall, 7-3 Big Ten)Head coach: Tim MaddenThis week for the Boilermakers:Big Ten Championships
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION: Up-to-date information concerning the 2003 Big Ten Championships can be found on Northwestern's Web site, www.nusports.com.
NCAA SELECTION SHOW: The announcement of all 64 teams selected to compete in the 2003 NCAA Championships will take place on ESPNews Wednesday, April 30, at approximately 4:45 p.m, just after the presentation of the women's bracket. Thirty-one conference champions will receive automatic byes while 33 teams will qualify for an at-large berth.
NORTHWESTERN AND WISCONSIN RECAP: Entering one of its most important weekends in recent history, Michigan State sat tied for fifth with Indiana and Northwestern in the Big Ten with two matches to go, including a contest with the Wildcats. NU came out strong in both doubles and singles but MSU battled back to take the doubles point as well as three singles points for the 4-3 victory. The Spartans then took care of Wisconsin the following day, 5-2, to secure the fifth seed in the conference tournament and a first-round bye. Andrew Formanczyk and Eric Simonton each went undefeated for the weekend, racking up two wins a piece in singles and doubles.
THIS WEEK'S PREVIEW: The Spartans will hit the road this week for the 2003 Big Ten Championships hosted by Northwestern. First round play begins Thursday (April 24) but No. 5 State will take on No. 4 Purdue in a quarterfinal match-up Friday at 2 p.m. The winner will meet the victor of the Illinois vs. Indiana/Northwestern contest in the semifinals Saturday at noon. The championship match will take place Sunday at noon as well. State fell to Purdue in the regular season, 5-2, in West Lafayette, Ind.
MSU IN THE BIG TENS: Since 1985 when the Big Ten reverted from individual scores to a team vs. team format, Michigan State has posted a 17-34 record in tournament competition. The 1999 season was the first season without a loser's bracket and the Spartans have posted a 2-2 record in opening round matches since then as well as four straight victories from 1997-2000 in their first match. The last time State met Purdue in the conference championships was a 4-0 MSU loss in 1999 in the quarterfinals. The all-time series between the Spartans and Boilermakers in the postseason sits at 5-3 in favor of Purdue.
WEIRD TIDBITS: Michigan State will be heading into the Big Ten Tournament, which is scheduled to take place outdoors, with an 0-5 record under the sun. But on the other side, in every one of State's 14 victories, it has gotten a win at the No. 4 singles position.
2003 Big Ten Championship Schedule (All Times Central)First Round (Thursday, April 24)Match 1 No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 11 Penn State 2 p.m.Match 2 No. 7 Michigan vs. No. 10 Wisconsin 10 a.m.Match 3 No. 8 Indiana vs. No. 9 Northwestern 10 a.m.Quarterfinals (Friday, April 25)Match 4 No. 1 Illinois vs. Winner of Match 3 10 a.m.Match 5 No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 5 Michigan State 2 p.m.Match 6 No. 3 Minnesota vs. Winner of Match 1 2 p.m.Match 7 No. 2 Ohio State vs. Winner of Match 2 10 a.m.Semifinals (Saturday, April 26)Quarterfinal Winners noonFinals (Sunday, April 27)Semifinal Winners noon
