Twenty-three years ago, Wisconsin men's tennis Head Coach Pat Klingelhoets, a 1972 UW-Madison alum, took over the Badgers as the team's 17th head coach.
Twenty-three years ago, lone senior and Badger captain Alex Kasarov, an All-Big Ten team selection last year, was born in Bulgaria.
Now, 23 years later, the two have high hopes for the upcoming 2004-05 season.
\A perfect season would be finishing in the top two or three of the Big Ten and maybe winning a round in the NCAA tournament,"" said Klingelhoets, who has collected 275 wins with the Badgers. However, in the team's last trip to the NCAA tournament in 1998, it lost to Duke.
""We have to make a pretty big jump from where we have been the past few years,"" he continued.
The Badgers have dug themselves into a hole the past few years. In the Spring of 2004, Wisconsin finished with an 8-15 record and posted a 3-8 record in the Big Ten, finishing tenth in conference play. The team returns six athletes, but also lost four to graduation, including Scott Green and David Hippee, last year's co-captains. Klingelhoets said the two will be missed, but other players will step up.
""We hate to lose our seniors. Scott was a tremendous leader, and David was a great competitor,"" Klingelhoets said. ""They are great doubles players as well, and our biggest challenge will be to replace them. But, Alex will be a good captain for us.""
Kasarov, according to Klingelhoets, is ready to take on the challenge. Besides playing individually, he will compete in doubles at Wisconsin for the first time with his brother, Lachezar, a sophomore. This season will mark the first time since Alex came to Wisconsin in January 2001 that the brothers will compete together.
""Last year was OK, but not great. I play for the love of the game and to get better on the courts every day,"" Alex said. ""And it's great to play with my brother.""
Alex will also be considered a brother to the five freshmen on the team. One of the youngest squads in Badger history, Klingelhoets hopes the freshmen will have an impact early.
He plans to play three freshmen in the top three individual spots this weekend when the Badgers travel to Lincoln, Neb. for the Nebraska Invitational. Jeremy Sonkin, Elliot Bishop and Felipe Bellido will start for the Badgers, who will face Denver, Drake, Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio State.
Sonkin, who also looked at Ohio State, Minnesota and Pepperdine, said he hopes to make a good impression with the team.
""I wanted a college where I could play right away,"" Sonkin said. ""I got that here, and I want to meet all the goals and expectations that I have for myself and also as a team.""
Though the team has lofty goals, Klingelhoets thinks this team has greater potential than in the past.
""I love Madison and have lived here all my life. But, there were a few years that I wondered if I still wanted to coach. At that point, we were bringing in athletically-gifted players, but they didn't work as hard,"" Klingelhoets said. ""This team wants to compete. We have lacked that in past years. Competitiveness will be our strength.""
The Badgers compete in six individual tournaments this fall before beginning dual-match play in January.
