After Friday night’s 4-3 comeback against Western Michigan, the Wisconsin men’s tennis team left no doubt on Sunday with a win over Drake 4-0 at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. The Badgers took control early, sweeping three singles matches without dropping more than one set and winning the doubles point.
With this win, Wisconsin improves to 4-1, marking its second 4-1 start in the last three seasons. After showing resilience during their last match, the Badgers showed dominance against Drake.
Toughness leads to total control
Unlike Friday’s match, where Wisconsin had to battle back after losing the doubles point, this time, they struck first. The No. 1 pair of Oliver Olsson and Tomas Zlatohlavek put on a flawless performance, winning 6-0. Patrik Meszaros and Michael Minasyan followed with a 6-1 victory at No. 2 to secure the first point of the match.
Singles play was just as one-sided.
At No.1, Michael Minasyan delivered a perfect match, winning over Drake’s Ben Johnson 6-0, 6-0.
No. 3 singles Meszaros remained undefeated, improving to 5-0 with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Drake’s No. 3 Christian Winstead.
Oliver Olsson also sealed the win with a 6-3, 6-1 victory in his first singles match of the season.
Head coach Danny Westerman emphasized his team’s resilience after Friday’s tough match, and that toughness showed again — this time in a more commanding fashion.
“We were pretty tough,” Westerman said after the Western Michigan win. “We had a little adversity losing the doubles point, but we showed a lot of fight, especially in the singles lineup. Our freshmen are maturing quickly, and that’s great to see.”
Sunday’s match proved his point. The Badgers didn’t just fight — they controlled the match from start to finish.
Meszaros and the freshmen keep rolling
Meszaros has been unstoppable, and his 5-0 record in singles play is a key reason for Wisconsin’s strong start. His ability to stay mentally tough in stressful matches is a major factor to his success.
“I just always want to win, even when I’m down,” Meszaros said Friday. “I love playing with this team. It pushes me to be better.”
Minasyan’s 6-0, 6-0 performance at No. 1 was another standout moment, proving the depth of Wisconsin’s roster. Olsson, stepping into the singles lineup for the first time, took full advantage of his opportunity with a dominant win.
Building momentum
With this win, Wisconsin now holds a 6-5 lead in the all-time series against Drake, After two straight victories, the Badgers are proving they can win both tough battles and dominant shutouts.
Now, they turn their attention to Illinois State on Wednesday, Feb. 19. The Badgers will look to wrap up their six-match homestand with another victory as they continue to build momentum for the season ahead.
“We want to prove that we’re a strong team,” Meszaros said. “We’ve had a great start, but we want to keep winning.”
With performances like this, they’re proving exactly that.
