Oct. 24, 2012
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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s tennis team continues its fall season at the Northwestern Invite in Evanston, Ill., Friday- Sunday.
LAST TIME OUT
Jonas Dierckx saw the most success at the ITA Regionals in Minneapolis, claiming the lone victory in tournament play. Dierckx squared off against Grant Ive of Tulsa in the Men’s Singles Round of 64. After losing the first set 4-6, Dierckx battled back and won the last two sets 6-1, 7-6 (1). Matt Hagan, Garret Dunn, and Michael Swank all fell in defeat during their singles competition. In doubles, Dierckx and Hagan fell to Gutierrez and Pereira of Wichita State, 9-7. Additionally, Dunn and Swank fell to Siributwong and Stakhovsky of Oklahoma, 8-2. Dunn and Swank are currently tied for 55th in the ITA Men’s Doubles Rankings.
DIERCKX EARNS PENN FLIGHT CONSOLATION TITLE
After falling in his first singles match, Jonas Dierckx made the most of his second opportunity rattling off three-straight victories to claim the Penn Flight Consolation Title on Sept. 30 at the Penn Invite. Dierckx first defeated Brendan Ruddock of Minnesota, 6-0, 6-3. In the second round Dierckx took down Damien David of Buffalo, 3-6, 6-3, 10-3 to advance to the finals where he faced Benjamin Gilman of Lehigh. Dierckx fell down early, losing his first set 3-6, but rebounded nicely and won the final two sets 6-2, 6-0 to claim the victory.
TEAM STATISTICS
Currently, the Hawkeyes have a 22-29 record overall in singles play and a 7-9 record in doubles play. Jonas Dierckx leads the team in singles victories with a 5-3 record. Andres Estenssoro, Dominic Patrick, and Joey White rank second with four singles victories a piece. In doubles play, Chase Tomlins has been the most effective with a 4-2 record having paired up with both Joey White and Dominic Patrick.
HEAD COACH Steve Houghton
Steve Houghton, the dean of Big Ten tennis coaches, is in his 32nd year as head coach of the Hawkeyes. He has compiled a career record of 332-363 (.478), recording the most wins of any coach in Iowa men’s tennis history.
QUOTING HEAD COACH Steve Houghton
“This will be another tough tournament with many outstanding players. We are taking our middle tier of guys and they will definitely be challenged, but they have also been improving.”