MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin men’s tennis team is back at home for a pair of Big Ten matches, this time taking on two Indiana-based teams. The Badgers (9-7, 2-2 B1G) host the Purdue Boilermakers (2-13, 0-3 B1G) Friday night at 4 p.m. and then the Indiana Hoosiers (12-8, 1-2) Sunday at noon.
Here are five things you should know before this weekend’s matches:
1. No Place Like Home: Sixteen matches into the season, the Badgers are 7-1 at Nielsen Tennis Stadium, matching last season’s home record (7-1). In those eight home matches, Wisconsin has outscored its opponents, 38-14, including two shutouts during matches against Western Michigan and Marquette. During these home matches, Wisconsin has won seven out of the eight doubles points. The Badgers have three remaining home matches this season all against Big Ten opponents: Purdue, Indiana, and Nebraska.
2. Big Ten Standings: Wisconsin is heading into the third weekend of Big Ten play currently placed sixth out of 10 Big Ten teams. The Badgers are 2-2 overall with their two losses coming at the hands of the undefeated conference leaders, Ohio State and Michigan. The Badgers are also currently behind Northwestern, Illinois, and Nebraska, three opponents that they will play yet this season. In the most recent ITA rankings, the Badgers are clocking in at No. 49 overall, tying their highest ranking of the season. The doubles duo of Gabriel Huber and Michael Minasyan are also ranked, coming in at No. 56.
3. Know the Opponents: The Purdue Boilermakers are 2-13 overall on the season and 0-3 in conference play. Their two wins include a 5-2 victory over IUPUI and a 4-2 defeat of Butler. Their three Big Ten losses all came to ranked teams — No. 72 Indiana (7-0), No. 22 Illinois (5-0) and No. 25 Northwestern (4-0). The Badgers will be the fifth ITA-ranked team that the Boilermakers will face this season.
The Indiana Hoosiers are 12-8 overall and currently 1-2 in Big Ten play. On the road, the Hoosiers are 1-5 and they are on a two match winning streak. Seven of Indiana’s eight losses have come to ranked teams, including Big Ten foes No. 24 Northwestern (5-1) and No. 22 Illinois (4-0). They will visit No. 47 Nebraska on Friday before traveling north to Madison. The Hoosiers are currently ranked No. 75 by ITA.
4. Follow the Action: Live updates on the Badgers can be…
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