Hoosiers open tourney with Hawkeyes

The No. 61 Hoosiers (11-11, 5-5 Big Ten) hope their second go-around against Iowa will be as kind as the first with the start of the Big Ten men's tennis tournament. IU opens tournament play as the No. 6 seed and will face off against the No. 11 seed Hawkeyes (3-16, 0-10 Big Ten) at 1 p.m. today in East Lansing, Mich., at the Michigan State Outdoor Courts.\nThis will be the second time IU has met up with the Hawkeyes in two weeks. The first time out was a big success for the Hoosiers, as they dominated the match from start to finish with a rousing 7-0 romp, claiming all the doubles and singles matches.\nThe Hawkeyes are trying to prevent going the entire Big Ten season without a victory.\n"Playing them again is an advantage, as we are definitely seen as the favorite for the match," Junior Tom Bagnato said. \nWith the Big Ten tournament, IU expects a more intense atmosphere, as teams will play with more urgency in hopes of keeping their NCAA tournament hopes alive.\n"I think (playing in the first round) is an advantage, because we get that extra match under our belts before going into the heavy stuff," sophomore Neil Kenner said. \nGetting off to a solid start in the tournament will be key for the Hoosiers, as the team has been dealing with late season injuries, including those of the No. 51 player in the country, junior Jakub Praibis. \nA win against Iowa would go a long way in terms of keeping IU's NCAA tournament hopes alive. The Hoosiers enjoyed a three-match winning streak against ranked opponents at the halfway point in the conference season, but come into tournament play reeling, ending their conference play by losing three of their last four.\nTwo-seeded Minnesota awaits the matches' winner.\n"You have to walk a tightrope between adrenaline and calm, while not playing flat or out of control," IU coach Ken Hydinger said.\n-- Contact staff writer Dan Click at daaclick@indiana.edu.