Hoosiers look for 7 straight wins at OSU

If the IU men's tennis team wants to keep its streak alive, players are going to have to earn it.\nWinners of their last six matches, the Hoosiers will face what could be their toughest test in a month, when they travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face the No. 33-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.\nIU will look to continue its strong play from top to bottom, a balance that has keyed the Hoosiers' surge in recent weeks.\n"We've been playing tennis for almost three months now," said IU Coach Ken Hydinger. "It just gets harder and harder to keep the focus, but people who play good tennis, and play in a good league, know that playing well week in and week out means you have the ability. It's the test of a good team."\nThe Hoosiers have been playing well during the past few weeks, a stretch that vaulted the team from 4-8 to 10-8 overall on the spring. In addition, the streak has included three Big Ten wins, giving IU a 4-1 Big Ten tally, its best Big Ten start since the 1992-1993 season.\nIn addition, several players have assembled individual streaks of their own. Senior No. 1 player Jakub Praibis has won his last six matches, as has junior Neil Kenner. Junior John Stone has won his last seven contests, and sophomore David Bubenicek has won 10 of his last 11 matches.\nPraibis says it's important for IU to maintain that mental focus to keep winning.\n"It's hard to play so many good guys all the time," Praibis said. "You can't think about it that way, though. You have to just go out and know that you can play the way you can play."\nIU will face a special challenge Saturday, as Ohio State features the No. 1 doubles team in the country. Stone and senior Ryan Recht will most likely be facing the top-rated squad.\nRecht says the team has been working on doubles in preparation of the big matchup.\n"We're expecting a real battle out there," Recht said. "Our doubles team has been a bit up and down, but we've been working on playing solid. We've beaten these guys before, so we have to focus on what we can do."\nThe match will be played at the Stickney Tennis Center in Columbus and is slated to begin at noon.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Eamonn Brennan at eabrenna@indiana.edu.