Men's Tennis Preps for Regular Season Finale Against No. 11 Huskies
It might be a long shot, but a victory this weekend against No. 11 Washington (17-4, 5-1) would give the University of Oregon men’s tennis team (8-14, 1-5) a fighting chance at a postseason berth. Regardless, it is still the Huskies, and the Ducks will be looking for revenge after a 6-1 loss in Seattle earlier this season. No. 14 Sven Swinnen (23-6 overall) is one win shy of tying the Duck single-season mark (Dougal Williams 24-13-2, 1994-95) and already tops for career triumphs with 80.
Last Week ? The Ducks ended their 11-match losing streak with a confident 5-2 victory over Arizona. Markus Schiller and Vlad Pino upset UA’s No. 19 doubles team in the victory. No. 14 Sven Swinnen posted two wins against the Arizona schools, upping his overall record 23-6.
Scouting UW ? The Huskies are 17-4 overall and 5-1 in Pac-10 play this season. UW has three ranked players ? No. 19 Alex Vlaski (13-5 overall), No. 29 Alex Slovic (16-5) and No. 57 Christopher Palmanshofer (team-high 21-6). Daniel Chu and Slovic are ranked No. 27 in doubles. The Huskies defeated the Ducks in Seattle, 6-1, earlier this season, in a non-conference match. Swinnen posted the lone singles victory for UO, defeating Vlaski in three sets.
Super Sven ? With a 23-6 overall record, Swinnen is ranked No. 14 in the ITA rankings. Swinnen looks destine for a second consecutive postseason berth and with a strong finish, could earn one of the top 16 seeds in the singles draw.
Seniors ? Switzerland natives, Swinnen and Manuel Kost will be playing in their final home match as Ducks this weekend. Arguably the best one-two combo in program history, the duo has combined for a 135-84 overall singles record. Swinnen, a 2004 All-American, ranks first all-time with 80 career wins, while Kost, a two-time NCAA Championships participant, ranks t-fifth with 55.
Live Scoring ? Fans can follow his weekend's match via live scoring at www.GoDucks.com.
