April 9, 2000
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - After losing to Michigan State on Saturday, the Purdue men's tennis team felt it needed to do something special in Ann Arbor against Michigan. And something special is just what happen as the Boilermakers, currently ranked No. 44, shocked the 20th-ranked Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor with a 4-3 victory. Purdue head coach Tim Madden was ecstatic with the win.
"This team fought harder today than they did in any other match," Madden said. "They fought hard and confident the whole match through from top to bottom. Yesterday's loss made us play with more integrity and determination today."
Intensity would be another word to describe Purdue's efforts on Sunday. The Boilers came out and claimed all three doubles matches with decisive wins. Senior captain Evan Hays stepped in at the No. 3 spot, and played some of the best tennis in his career at Purdue.
"Evan came out extremely excited and ready to play," Madden said. "It can be difficult for a guy who doesn't get into the lineup every week to stay motivated and excited. That has definitely not been the case with Evan. Not only did he keep himself motivated, he was vocal and instrumental in his teammates' success."
Hays, who paired with sophomore Derek Miller, handed Danny McCain and Chris Shaya an 8-5 loss to secure the point for doubles action. In singles, junior Jason Marshall knocked off John Long 6-1, 6-4 at the No. 1 position. At No. 4, freshman Scott Mayer defeated Ron Nano a 6-3, 7-6.
"Jason and Scott have been good for us this entire season," Madden said. "They make a coach's life much easier."
But with the lead 3-0 for Purdue, clinching the match did not seem easy. Although Miller, classmate Laith Al-Agba and freshman Andrew Wakefield pushed their matches to the third set, none were able to pull off a win. The match would be decided at the No. 4 singles position by freshman Carl McCafferty, who all week suffered from a back injury.
"Carl couldn't even hit a serve this week," Madden said. "He played with just so much heart out there today. He took his forehand, the only skill he could execute well, and made his opponent deal with it over and over again. He was in pain, but he played with as much intensity as anyone today."
McCafferty gained the deciding team point with a 7-4 win in a third set tiebreaker over Ben Cox. With the win, the Boilers improve to 9-8 (5-2 Big Ten). Purdue will return home on April 15 to face Penn State.
Purdue 4, Michigan 3
Singles
No. 1 Jason Marshall (PU) def. John Long (UM), 6-1, 6-4
No. 2 Henry Beam (UM) def. Derek Miller (PU), 1-6, 7-6, 6-3
No. 3 Danny McCain (UM) def. Andrew Wakefield (PU), 6-3, 4-6, 7-6
No. 4 Carl McCafferty (PU) def. Ben Cox (UM), 6-4, 5-7, 7-6
No. 5 Scott Mayer (PU) def. Ron Nano (UM), 6-3, 7-6
No. 6 Zach Held (UM) def. Laith Al-Agba (PU), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 Marshall Wakefield (PU) def. Long/Held (UM), 9-7
No. 2 Al-Agba/Mayer (PU) def. Nano/Beam (UM), 8-6
No. 3 Miller/Hays (PU) def. McCain/Shaya (UM), 8-5