April 26, 2007
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue rediscovered its winning ways Thursday with a 4-1 upset over 37th-ranked Minnesota during the first round of the Big Ten Championships at the Schwartz Tennis Center.
The Boilermakers (9-13, 1-9 Big Ten) began 2007 on a seven-game winning streak, but struggled down the stretch as they earned just one win (vs. Indiana State) over their last 14 decisions. The Boilermakers' most recent loss was to these same Golden Gophers, who beat them 4-3 Sunday.
Purdue head coach Tim Madden believed the rematch definitely worked to the Boilermakers' favor, but it was the resurgence of his veterans - Paul Rose, Eric Hodgman and Kurt Zaske - that gave Purdue its first Big Ten Championship victory since 2002, when it beat No. 43 Northwestern 4-2.
"Paul (Rose) had the look of a champion today," said Madden. "He's overcome so much this year with regards to injuries, and the momentum spread to his teammates. They were determined not to allow their opponents back in the match."
Following Griff Nienberg's loss at No. 6 singles to Sion Wilkins, 6-1, 6-2, the Boilermakers received three straight wins to finish the dual. Hodgman finished first at No. 3 with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Nich Edlefsen, then Rose put the hammer down on Andres Osorio, 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2 singles.
Zaske clinched the match with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Mikey Kantar at the No. 4 spot. Purdue will next play third-seed and ninth-ranked Illinois (16-7, 8-2 Big Ten) Friday at 2 p.m. at the Schwartz Tennis Center.
Purdue opened the dual by winning the doubles point in controversial fashion. The Golden Gopher team of Osorio and Chi-Lang Pham lost their temper with officials and were cited with a code violation, which gave Purdue's Paul Foley and Nienberg the deciding tiebreak point in a 9-8 (5) win.
"It's unfortunate, but that's part of the game," said Madden, whose Boilermakers have won the doubles point in five of their last six Big Ten duals. "At the same time, I don't want to take anything away from Paul (Foley) or Griff. They competed hard and more than deserved to win that match. Tennis players have to know how to handle all situations, and its when they let their decisions get the best of them - it will cost their team a point."
The Boilermakers' No. 1 doubles tandem of Rose and Branko Kuzmanovic won the dual's first match with an 8-2 decision over Edlefsen and Wilkins. Rose and Kuzmanovic have won four-straight games at the top spot since April 15.
Friday's Big Ten Championship schedule features the conference's top five seeds. No. 1 Ohio State (24-1, 10-0) faces eighth-seeded Northwestern (10-13, 4-6) at 10 a.m. at the Schwartz Tennis Center, while No. 4 Wisconsin (14-9, 6-4) and No. 5 Penn State battle at the Varsity Tennis Courts, located south of Rankin Track and Field off Stadium Avenue.
The second doubleheader features No. 2 Michigan (18-5, 8-2) vs. the winner of the Indiana/Iowa dual at the Varsity Tennis Courts, and Illinois vs. Purdue at Schwartz. Both these quarterfinal matches are slated to start at 2 p.m.
If the case of inclement weather, duals will be held simultaneously on the Schwartz indoor courts. The Schwartz Tennis Center is located just south of the Cherry Lane and McCormick Road intersection on the northwest side of campus.
For more information on the Big Ten Men's Tennis Championships, please click here.
Drop Shots
- Following the match, the Big Ten Announced Kurt Zaske as the Purdue tennis team's sportsmanship honoree. - Purdue's win over Minnesota was its first since April of 2002 (W, 4-3), a span of seven games. Minnesota leads its all-time series with Purdue 42-7.
- Purdue's last win over Illinois was a 6-1 decision on March 30, 1993. The Illini have beat the Boilermakers 76 times in 85 meetings dating back to 1917.
- Since the Big Ten began use of a single-elimination dual format in 1999, Purdue has advanced past the first round only four times, including 2007. In 1999, the Boilermakers won its first two tournament matches before falling to Illinois in the finals 4-1. Purdue went 1-1 at the conference tournament in 2001 and 2002.
- Today's win was Purdue's first outdoors all season. The Boilermakers were 0-6 outside prior to today, losing to UC-Irivine, San Diego, Western Michigan, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota.
- Paul Rose's win at No. 2 singles over Minnesota's Andres Osorio was his first over a Big Ten opponent this year - it was also the 70th of his collegiate career as he improved to 70-59. Rose went 0-10 vs. the conference during the regular season.
- Today's win marked the first time since a 4-3 win at Michigan State on Feb. 24 that Purdue won three singles matches vs. a Big Ten opponent.
Purdue 4, #37 Minnesota 1
Singles competition
1. Branko Kuzmanovic (PUR) vs. Raoul Schwark (MINN) 6-7 (5-7), 4-2, unfinished
2. Paul Rose (PUR) def. Andres Osorio (MINN) 6-4, 6-2
3. Eric Hodgman (PUR) def. Nich Edlefsen (MINN) 6-4, 6-3
4. Kurt Zaske (PUR) def. Mikey Kantar (MINN) 6-3, 6-4
5. Paul Foley (PUR) vs. D.J. Geatz (MINN) 7-5, 3-3, unfinished
6. Sion Wilkins (MINN) def. Griffin Nienberg (PUR) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Branko Kuzmanovic/Paul Rose (PUR) def. Nich Edlefsen/Sion Wilkins (MINN) 8-2
2. Mikey Kantar/Raoul Schwark (MINN) def. Jose Fuenmayor/Eric Hodgman (PUR) 8-6
3. Paul Foley/Griffin Nienberg (PUR) def. Andres Osorio/Chi-Lang Pham (MINN) 9-8 (7-5)
Match Notes:
Minnesota 15-9, 5-5 Big Ten; National ranking #37
Purdue 9-13, 1-9 Big Ten
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (6,3,2,4)
T-2:20 A-78