IU-Purdue rivalry: 2 stories for 2 tennis teams

For the IU men's tennis team, it's time to end an unpopular streak. \nThe past nine times the Hoosiers have faced their archrival Purdue, the Boilermakers have come away with a win. IU will look to end that stint Saturday when it plays host to Purdue at 2 p.m. at the IU Varsity Tennis Courts.\nWhile the Hoosiers hold the series lead against the Boilermakers, Purdue has owned the advantage in recent years, defeating IU every time the teams have played since 1995.\n"This is our year to beat this team," said junior John Stone. "They are weaker than in past years, and we're playing really well right now. This is the time to do it."\nIU will come into the match on the heels of a three-match win streak in which it dominated underdogs Toledo, Vincennes and Southern Indiana, shutting out each team at home last weekend. \nDespite the strong wins, IU coach Ken Hydinger said he doesn't see momentum factoring into this weekend's battle.\n"There's nothing that happened last week that's going to cause the ball to go over the net this week," he said. "Momentum is for people who can't disassociate past experiences and can't stay in present focus.\n"We've got to go out and treat each day with respect. We want to see focus, day in and day out."\nThe Hoosiers come in experiencing a resurgence in several facets of their game. In singles competition, senior Jakub Praibis has risen to the highest ranking of his career this week, at No. 39 nationally. In addition, the Hoosiers have gotten strong performances from Stone and sophomore David Bubenicek. Bubenicek is riding an eight-match win streak, while Stone has won six in a row. \n"We should be encouraged by how we are playing right now," Praibis said. "We should feel confident about this match. It's always close with these guys, they are a good team. It would be nice to break this streak my senior year."\nBeside a hostile rival coming to town, the Hoosiers might be forced to deal with relatively new court surface conditions, as the team moves to the outdoor IU Varsity Tennis courts for only the second weekend. \nIf weather does not permit, the Hoosiers could be back in the IU Tennis Center. While Hydinger said the transition can be difficult for the players, he believes focus remains the key. \n"It's like seeing two different speeds of pitches," Hydinger said. "Indoors, it's all fastballs. Once you get outside, the balls are moving all over the place, and you have to adapt. You can overcome that by focusing on the task at hand, and getting the job done."\nHydinger expects a respectful, hard-fought rivalry match.\n"Some teams have dirty rivalries. Not us," he said. "Both teams respect each other and this is a clean rivalry. It's tight in the series, and it should be a great competition."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Eamonn Brennan at eabrenna@indiana.edu.