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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa men’s tennis team defeated Wisconsin, 4-3, on Sunday at the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex. With the win, the Hawkeyes remained perfect in Big Ten play after three matches. This was also the first time in 30 years Iowa had defeated Minnesota (4-3) and Wisconsin (4-3) in the same season (1989).
For the first time this season, Iowa won a match when dropping the doubles point. Will Davies and Oliver Okonkwo were victorious on court one for the second straight match, 6-2, knocking off the 25th-ranked doubles team in the country. Joe Tyler and partner Jonas Larsen lost 6-4 on court two, while Jason Kerst and Piotr Smietana lost in a tiebreak (8-6) to drop the doubles point on court three.
In singles competition, Iowa battled back and won four out of the six matches, two of them in straight sets. Larsen was the first Hawkeye to finish, recording a 6-3, 6-1 victory on court two. Kerst answered the bell for the second straight match on court six, winning a tightly-contested match, 6-4, 7-5. Tyler followed suite after Kerst’s match, winning 7-5, 0-6, 6-2 at No. 3, to give Iowa a 3-2 advantage. The match came down to Davies against Robert Krill on court four. Davies won both sets in the tiebreaker to clinch the match in front of an electric crowd, 7-6(3), 7-6(2).
Iowa Notables
- Iowa improved to 10-1 at home this season..
- Will Davies won his team-best 13th singles match this spring (13-3). Furthermore, Davies improved to 6-0 when playing on court four this season, including a perfect 4-0 this year as a sophomore.
- Oliver Okonkwo won his 20th doubles match this season (fall & spring), which ties for seventh most in a single-season in program history.
- Iowa improved to 10-0 this season when winning on court one in doubles.
- Iowa improved to 8-0 and 6-0 when winning on courts six and two in singles, respectively.
Quoting Mellecker Family Head Coach Ross Wilson
“Unbelievable fight from our guys today. To have multiple guys step in and play, especially our second doubles team that hasn’t played together since the fall, was big for us. Jason stepped up and won along with Joe winning in three sets. Jonas has been phenomenal, and he continued that out here today. Our rock, Will played the No. 4 spot and crushed it there at the end. Our guys are tough and determined. They deserved this and they’ll enjoy it for the next few days.”
Iowa 4, Wisconsin 3
March 24, 2019 | Noon (CT) | Iowa City, Iowa | HTRC
Singles
1. Osgar O’Hoisin (UW) def. Oliver Okonkwo (UI): 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
2. Jonas Larsen (UI) def. Jesper Freimuth (UW): 6-3, 6-1
3. Joe Tyler (UI) def. Lenard Soha (UW): 7-5, 0-6, 6-2
4. Will Davies (UI) def. Robert Krill (UW): 7-6(3), 7-6(2)
5. Jared Pratt (UW) def. Piotr Smietana (UI): 6-4, 6-2
6. Jason Kerst (UI) def. Daniel Nuzhny (UW): 6-4, 7-5
Doubles
1. Okonkwo/Davies (UI) def. #25 O’Hoisin/Pratt (UW): 6-2
2. Friemuth/Soha (UW) def. Tyler/Larsen (UI): 6-4
3. Colton/Krill (UW) def. Kerst/Smietana (UI): 7-6(6)
Match Notes
Iowa: 12-4, 3-0
Wisconsin: 7-6, 1-2
Order of Finish: Singles (2,5,6,3,1,4); Doubles (1,2,3)
