April 17, 2015
- Read the April issue of Hawk Talk Monthly
- Download your Hawk Talk Monthly iOS app
- Download your Hawk Talk Monthly android app
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone/iPad app
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye android app
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The No. 66 University of Iowa men’s tennis team (12-9, 4-6) fell to No. 11 Ohio State, 4-1, at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex Friday evening.
The match got off to a great start for Iowa in doubles. Dominic Patrick and Josh Silverstein teamed up at the No. 2 position for a battle with No. 80 Hunter Callahan and Chris Diaz. Patrick/Silverstein rolled with an 8-4 win over their ranked opponents, giving Iowa its first win of the night. The win is the duo’s sixth win in Big Ten play as a partnership. They are now 7-1 overall in the spring campaign.
“Today was the best doubles we have played all season, by far. Matt and Jake came out against the fourth ranked team in the country and held their own. Josh and Dominic kept pressure on their opponents and were able to finish the match off while Lefteris and Andres did the same thing. It was great tennis by all six guys, this is something we need to continue to do the rest of the season,” said UI head coach Ross Wilson.
 |
Lefteris Theodorou and Andres Estenssoro kept the momentum going registering an 8-3 victory over Ohio State’s Mikael Torpegaard and Matt Mendez. With the doubles point wrapped up Matt Hagan and Jake Jacoby’s match at the No. 1 spot against No. 4 Kevin Metka and Ralf Steinbach was abandoned.
Fresh off his win against a ranked opponent in Evanston, Theodorou squared off against another ranked foe in the Buckeyes’ No. 42 Diaz. Theodorou could not register back-to-back wins, falling in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2. Looking the put his team ahead Patrick battled Herkko Pollanen. However, it was Pollanen who earned the win, 6-1 6-4.
Ohio State held a 2-1 advantage when Estenssoro played Mendez at No. 6 singles. Mendez swept Estenssoro in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4 increasing the Buckeyes’ lead. At the No. 1 position, two ranked opponents squared off in No. 117 Hagan and No. 37 Torpegaard. Hagan attempted to put the Hawkeyes back into the match but Torpegaard proved too much for the senior as the Buckeye first position player earned a 6-3, 7-5 triumph.
“Next we have Penn State and that is a match we have talked about the whole week. This is the biggest match of the year for us. The way we played doubles today, with competing hard, with good energy and executing on big points, is how we need to come out and play every time. If we can come out and do that on Sunday we well be in very good shape,” added Wilson.
Silverstein and Jacoby’s match at the No. 4 and No. 5 spots, respectively, were abandoned due to Ohio State winning the match.
Iowa wraps up their regular season on Sunday when the team hosts both No. 51 Penn State at 11 a.m. (CT) and Chicago State at 5:30 p.m. (CT) at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex. The UI tennis program will recognize its two seniors, Estenssoro and Hagan, during the Penn State match. Admission is free to the public for both matches.
No. 11 Ohio State 4, No. 66 Iowa 1
Singles
1. No. 37 Mikael Torpegaard (OSU) def. No. 117 Matt Hagan (UI): 6-3, 7-5
2. No. 42 Chris Diaz (OSU) def. Lefteris Theodorou (UI): 6-1, 6-2
3. Herkko Pollanen (OSU) def. Dominic Patrick (UI): 6-1, 6-4
4. Josh Silverstein (UI) v.s. Kevin Metka (OSU): 4-6, 3-4 abandoned
5. Jake Jacoby (UI) v.s. No. 88 Ralf Steinbach (OSU): 3-6, 6-3, 1-4 abandoned
6. Matt Mendez (OSU) def. Andres Estenssoro (UI): 6-0, 6-4
Order of Finish: 2,6,3,1
Doubles
1. Hagan/Jacoby (UI) v.s. No. 4 Metka/Steinbach (OSU): 4-7 abandoned
2. Patrick/Silverstein (UI) def. No. 80 Callahan/Diaz (OSU):8-4
3. Theodorou/Estenssoro (UI) def. Torpegaard/Mendez (OSU): 8-3
Order of Finish: 2,3 ?
