Hoosiers take on Big Ten in singles tourney

Tennis, by nature, is a sport of the individual. Even when a team concept is at hand, success rides on the collection of singular efforts. The IU men's tennis team will test the strength of its individual parts this weekend as the Hoosiers close their fall season with the Big Ten Singles Championship at the Nielson Tennis Stadium at the University of Wisconsin. \nThe final fall outing for the Hoosiers provides an opportunity to close the fall season on a strong note and pave the way for the spring season, said junior Dmytro Ishtuganov. \n"By having a strong tournament, we can prepare the foundation for future success in the spring," he said. "We want to increase the prestige of the team and let everybody know that we should be the favorite in our matches." \nIshtuganov acknowledged the difference between this singles tournament and other tournaments, many of which are determined by which team has the strongest showing overall. \n"Even though you are playing by yourself, you still have the IU jersey on. The school spirit is still there," he said. "You play for yourself and for your team at the same time." \nThe Hoosiers have had a strong fall as a team thus far, including capturing five titles at the Boilermaker Invitational Oct. 9 and 10 and playing deep into nearly every tournament in which they've participated. \nIU coach Ken Hydinger looked for the team to continue the high standard of play it has exhibited throughout the fall season. \n"We're not really focused on a specific number of wins as we are on quality of play," Hydinger said. "Obviously you want to win as much as possible, but we are looking for personal improvement as well." \nHoosier players, however, have set the bar high for themselves in this tournament. Senior Ryan Recht, who captured the consolation title of the Championship last year, said he feels the pressure to perform well in his final fall outing. \n"I have big expectations for myself in this tournament," Recht said. "It's my senior season, and it would be great to end my fall career with a really strong outing." \nThe tournament begins at 9 a.m. Friday, with a 32-man qualifying round. The top eight players in the round will be placed into the main draw. Senior Tom Bagnato, junior John Stone and freshman Dara McLoughlin are slated to play in the qualifying action. Recht, Ishtuganov, freshman Michael McCarthy, sophomore David Bubenicek and senior Neil Kenner all have first-round matches already scheduled in Saturday's main draw. Saturday will also feature two rounds of action, with two more scheduled for Sunday and the semifinals and consolation rounds scheduled for Monday. \n"In this kind of tournament, you not only play against your opponent, you play against the tournament's schedule," said Hydinger, describing the difficulties of the tournament's format. "Your opponent could have played for two hours the day before, and you could have played for eight." \nHydinger asserted that for the Hoosiers to succeed they needed to focus on the matters at hand. \n"Our guys just need to focus in on the present," he said. "They need to play one match at a time, hit one ball at a time and really stay in the process in order to succeed."\n-- Contact staff writer Eamonn Brennan at eabrenna@indiana.edu.