The UW men's tennis team opens its 2006 fall season this weekend, sending split squads to participate in two different tournaments. One team will be sent to Waco, Texas, for the Baylor Invitational, while the other will partake in the Cincinnati Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Badgers return the core of last year's team that finished the year with a 11-12 record in dual action, going 3-7 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin won its opening match of the Big Ten Tournament with a 4-1 trouncing of Purdue before being turned away by No. 10 Ohio State 4-0.
The big-serving junior tandem of Jeremy Sonkin and Nolan Polley, last year's team co-MVPs, is undoubtedly the backbone of this season's promising team. Sonkin, the team's No. 1 singles player and a co-captain last year, finished with a 26-12 record at the spot, including a 16-7 spring record with wins over two ranked opponents. He earned unanimous first team All-Big Ten honors for his achievements.
He and Polley teamed up at No. 1 doubles to lead the squad with a 12-5 record. Polley, the No. 2 singles player, notched a team-best 30-10 singles record on the year. The Lexington, Ken. native captured the Big Ten singles championship in the fall and ended the spring on a six-match winning streak.
Sonkin and Polley both received preseason rankings in the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings. Polley was ranked No. 74, six slots ahead of No. 80 Sonkin. The duo received a No. 38 ranking in doubles.
Co-captain Lachezar Kasarov is the lone senior on the team. Kasarov finished last year with a 21-14 singles record, going 13-8 in the spring between the No. 3 and No. 4 spots. Other upperclassmen returning are juniors Felipe Bellido, Elliot Bisnow and Brennen Phippen. Bellido earned a 6-5 Big Ten record last season between the No. 4 and No. 5 singles positions.
The only sophomore, Gian Hodgson, played predominantly No. 6 singles as a freshman last year, earning a 19-12 record overall.
This year's incoming freshmen class could have an immediate impact in the 2006-'07 season. Michael Dierberger, a Milwaukee native, won three consecutive WIAA State Championships at Nicolet High School. Dierberger is the one Wisconsin native on this year's team. He is joined by Michael Muskievicz, a 6'5"" player out of Homewood, Ill.
Head Coach Greg Van Emburgh returns for his second year at the helm. A former ATP tour professional, Van Emburgh came over from the University of Kentucky to take over for retired coach Jim Klingelhoets in the summer of 2005.
He is assisted by Evan Austin, a former University of Kentucky standout, who takes over for last year's assistant coach Danny Westerman, who took the head coaching job at the University of Denver. Austin, who defeated ATP stars Andy Roddick and Mario Ancic as a junior player, enters his first year in a collegiate coaching position. Their chemistry will be a huge advantage in elevating a team loaded with experience and potential to the top half of the Big Ten standings.
In other news, Polley was recently named an ITA Scholar Athlete. To receive the award, an athlete must be a varsity letter winner and carry a 3.5 GPA. Polley ended up with a 3.8 for all of last year.
