Badgers begin Big Ten play with a bang

Friday, March 25

East Lansing, MI

2 PM (CT)

Wisconsin Badgers

Michigan State

Photo by: David Stluka

Badgers begin Big Ten play with a bang

March 25, 2022 | Men's Tennis

Box Score

Wisconsin sacks the Spartans 5-2

By: Annalee Gunderson

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Wisconsin men's tennis team took down Michigan State to open Big Ten Conference play on Friday afternoon, scoring a 5-2 win on the road.

Wisconsin (7-7, 1-0 Big Ten) came out swinging in doubles play. Sophomore Mihailo Popovic and senior Lenard Soha combined for the first Badger win of the match, a 6-3 defeat of Luke Baylis and Graydon Lair of Michigan State (13-6, 0-1). UW's Robin Parts and Sebastian Vile followed quickly with a 6-2 victory over Jack Winkler and Kazuki Matsuno.

Up 1-0 after doubles play, Soha grabbed the first singles point for the team, sweeping the second set of his match against MSU's Max Sheldon to take the win 6-1, 6-0. The Badgers were leading 2-0 until sophomore Tim Dhzurinskiy followed suit with a swift two-set win to add to the Badgers' lead. Dzhurinskiy took down the Spartans' Anthony Pero 6-2, 6-3, for his 10th win of the season.

With only one more point necessary to clinch the team win, Vile put another two-set triumph on the board. He posted a pair of 6-3 sets for the win over MSU's Carson Gates.

Parts was the final Badger to finish his singles match on top, scoring a three-set comeback victory. After dropping the first set 6-3, Parts fought back to take the second 6-3 and force a third set, which he won with a 6-4 decision.

Up Next
The Badgers head over to Ann Arbor to take on No. 5-ranked Michigan on Sunday. First serve is set for 11 a.m. (CT).

Wisconsin 5, Michigan State 2
Singles Results
1. Jack Winkler (MSU) def. Jared Pratt (WIS) 6-1, 6-3
2. Lenard Soha (WIS) def. Max Sheldon (MSU) 6-1, 6-0
3. Luke Baylis (MSU) def. Gabriel Huber (WIS) 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 (11-9)
4. Robin Parts (WIS) def. Graydon Lair (MSU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
5. Sebastian Vile (WIS) def. Carson Gates (MSU) 6-3, 6-3
6. Tim Dzhurinskiy (WIS) def. Anthony Pero (MSU) 6-2, 6-3

Doubles Results
1. Sebastian Vile/Robin Parts (WIS) def. Jack Winkler/Kazuki Matsuno (MSU) 6-2
2. Nick Williams/Max Sheldon (MSU) vs. Jared Pratt/Tim Dzhurinskiy (WIS) 4-4 (unfinished)
3. Lenard Soha/Mihailo Popovic (WIS) def. Luke Baylis/Graydon Lair (MSU) 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3, 1); Singles (2, 6, 1, 5, 3, 4)