_ctofeatured.jpg "Ohio State beats Michigan, 4-0, to win eighth-consecutive conference title.")
Ohio State beats Michigan, 4-0, to win eighth-consecutive conference title.
Ohio State University Team Page
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The fifth-ranked Ohio State men’s tennis team won its eighth-consecutive Big Ten Conference regular-season title Sunday when it beat No. 26 Michigan, 4-0, in Ann Arbor. The championship marks the Buckeyes’ 11th overall as they were co-champions in 1915 and winners in 1931 and 1943 as well.
Ohio State finishes the regular season atop the Big Ten standings with an 11-0 conference record and will play host to the Big Ten tournament starting Thursday at the Varsity Tennis Courts. Earning the No. 1 seed, the Buckeyes will have a first-round bye and will face the winner between the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds at 9 a.m. Friday. Ohio State will host the event for the first time since 2002. In all, the Scarlet and Gray have won the conference tournament eight times – 1991, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
For more information on the 2013 Big Ten Tournament, please click HERE.
In their match vs. the Wolverines, the Buckeyes won the doubles point for 27th time this season. The first win for Ohio State came from the No. 38 ranked duo of Blaz Rola and Kevin Metka, by a score of 8-3 over Alex Petrone and Michael Zhu. Rola and Metka finish the regular season a perfect 19-0, including a 9-0 mark in the Big Ten, with all their victories coming at No. 3 doubles. Next, 18th ranked Peter Kobeltand Connor Smith defeated No. 29 Evan King and Shaun Bernstein 9-7.
Ohio State won three consecutive singles matches to claim the victory over Michigan. First off the courts, No. 82 Chris Diaz beat Zhu 6-3, 6-4. Diaz joins senior Devin McCarthy as the only two Buckeyes to complete the Big Ten regular-season schedule undefeated when playing at least five matches. Diaz wraps up the regular season 9-0 (29-4 overall), while McCarthy is 10-0 (23-2 overall).
The Buckeyes earned the third point of the match with No. 11 Rola’s 6-3, 6-2 victory over Petrone on court No. 2. Smith, ranked 62nd, clinched the match for Ohio State with a win against Barrett Franks 6-4, 7-5.
Tennis Match Results
Ohio State vs. Michigan
April 21, 2013 at Ann Arbor, Mich.
(Varsity Tennis Center)
#5 Ohio State 4, #26 Michigan 0
Singles competition
1. #10 Evan King (U-M) vs. #8 Peter Kobelt (OSU) 6-4, 5-5 DNF
2. #11 Blaz Rola (OSU) def. Alex Petrone (U-M) 6-3, 6-2
3. #62 Connor Smith (OSU) def. Barrett Franks (U-M) 6-4, 7-5
4. #108 Vlad Stefan (U-M) vs. #91 Devin McCarthy 4-6, 6-1, 2-5 DNF
5. #82 Chris Diaz (OSU) def. Michael Zhu (U-M) 6-3, 6-4
6. Alex Buzzi (U-M) vs. Hunter Callahan (OSU) 6-3, 3-6, 2-1 DNF
Doubles competition
1. #18 Peter Kobelt/Connor Smith (OSU) def. #29 Evan King/Shaun Bernstein (U-M), 9-7
2. #45 Devin McCarthy/Ille Van Engelen (OSU) vs. Barrett Franks/Alex Buzzi (U-M) 6-7 DNF
3. #38 Blaz Rola/Kevin Metka (OSU) def. Alex Petrone/Michael Zhu (U-M), 8-3
Match Notes:
Michigan 14-8; National ranking #26
Ohio State 28-2; National ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (5,2,3)
