Nov. 14, 2005
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue men's tennis team wrapped up its fall season Sunday at the Big Ten Singles Championships in East Lansing, Mich. Freshman P.J. Rose provided the highlight for the weekend, as he advanced to the quarterfinals of the 64-player tournament.
Rose, the younger brother of Boilermaker senior Paul Rose, breezed through his first-round match, defeating Zach Frisch of Iowa 6-1, 6-1. In the second round he held on to beat Nic Edlefsen of Minnesota 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Another three-set victory came in the round of 16, where Rose bettered Ross Wilson of Ohio State 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. His run came to an end in the fourth round, as he dropped a 6-3, 6-4 decision to Dara McLoughlin of Indiana.
Seven additional Purdue players competed in the main draw with Rose: senior Colin Foster; juniors Eric Hodgman, Jarred Leibner, Scott Warner and Matt Zollman; and freshman Kelubia Mabatah and Kurt Zaske. Foster, Leibner and Zaske all won in the first round but lost in the second. Freshman Griffin Nienberg bowed out in the qualifying draw.
In the main draw consolation bracket, Mabatah won two matches, beating Aaron Schaecterle of Iowa 6-4, 6-4, and Sion Wilkins of Minnesota 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3). His march through consolation ended with a 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-4 loss to Michael James of Penn State.
Hodgman went 1-1 in the consolation bracket; Warner went 0-1. Warner won two matches in the qualifying bracket, however, to qualify for the main draw.
Purdue head coach Tim Madden was pleased in general with his team's performance, but especially with Rose and his fellow freshmen.
"P.J. had a great tournament. He competed well at a very high level," Madden said. "Kurt and Kel also did well. They all played with determined confidence, and it was really a good feeling to have all of them competing on Sunday."
Madden also commented on his team's progress from the beginning of the fall season to its end.
"We've improved so much this semester," Madden said. "We are a much more confident team at the end of the fall season than we were at the beginning, and that should help us when we start up again in the spring."
The Boilermakers will begin their official spring season Jan. 29, when they play host to both Valparaiso and Toledo at the Lafayette Sports Center.
Complete results from the Big Ten Singles Championships, which will conclude Monday, are available at www.msuspartans.com.
- P -