Ohio State
Minnesota
No. 3 Buckeyes Remain Perfect in Big Ten; Beat Minnesota – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/8/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 8, 2012
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 3 Ohio State men’s tennis team (25-2; 7-0 Big Ten) beat No. 47 Minnesota (9-6, 4-3) 6-1 Sunday in Minneapolis at the Baseline Tennis Center to remain perfect in league play this season with a 7-0 record. The victory extended Ohio State’s Big Ten win streak to 86 consecutive matches.
The Buckeyes were guaranteed the conference win after Peter Kobelt, ranked 54th-nationally, defeated Phillip Arndt 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3 singles. The redshirt-sophomore’s 19th win of the season was the match-clinching fourth point for the Buckeyes.
With the 6-1 victory, the Scarlet and Gray have now won 11 consecutive vs. Minnesota and 15 of the last 18, all under the direction of head coach Ty Tucker. Overall in the series, Ohio State is 28-38 against the Gophers.
The top ranked doubles tandem in the nation, Chase Buchanan and Blaz Rola, claimed the doubles point for Ohio State, winning their 10th-consecutive contest with an 8-5 triumph on court one vs. Rok Bonin and Julian Dehn, the No. 22 team in the nation. The Buckeye duo moved to 25-2 when paired together, including 16-2 at the top position, 10-1 vs. ranked opponents and 4-0 in league play.
Connor Smith and Kobelt were the first doubles pair to finish after an 8-4 win over Jack Hamburg and Anrdt on court three. The win was the duo’s 20th victory this year.
Devin McCarthy and Ille Van Engelen, ranked 39th-nationally, also were victorious in their match against Juan Pablo Ramirez and Leandro Toledo at No. 2 doubles. The Buckeye pair won 8-6 to earn their team high 27th victory, with 17 occurring this dual season.
After claiming the doubles point, Rola finished his singles match first to give Ohio State a 2-0 advantage with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Bonin on court one. The fifth-ranked player nationally, Rola is now 26-4 overall, including a 7-1 mark at the No. 1 position.
McCarthy, ranked 69th, beat Hamburg 6-3, 6-3 for his 12th win of the season at the fifth position. The redshirt-junior has won eight consecutive matches en route to a perfect 6-0 record in the Big Ten.
Kobelt was the next Buckeye to finish, clinching the road win vs. the Gophers on a day in which the Ohio State baseball and women’s tennis teams claim victories vs. Minnesota in Columbus.
In other singles competition, Buchanan and Van Engelen won their matches on courts two and four, respectively, to give Ohio State a 6-0 lead, while Smith lost a third-set tiebreaker at No. 6 singles to conclude the match.
Buchanan, ranked No. 12, downed No. 80 Toledo 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 for his 21st win. The senior is 6-0 in conference play. Van Engelen, in his sophomore season, moved to 5-1 in the Big Ten with a 7-6 (2), 7-5 win vs. Dehn.
Mathieu Froment beat Smith 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (8) to lift the Gophers to their only point of the match.
Ohio State is back in action April 13 as it returns home for a 6 p.m. match vs. No. 18 Illinois.
Break Points:
- As the No. 3 team nationally, Ohio State is 76-3.
- Ohio State has won 86 consecutive Big Ten Conference matches.
- The Scarlet and Gray have won 25 of 26 doubles points this season.
- The Buckeyes have been victorious in 42 of their previous 45 matches.
- Ohio State has won 143 consecutive home matches in Columbus.
- Since 2001, Ohio State is 270-38 when ranked in the ITA Top 25. That mark moves to 223-15 from the 2005-06 season onward.
- The Buckeyes have been ranked in the ITA Top 10 for 189-consecutive matches (beginning March 7, 2006).
Tennis Match Results
April 8, 2012
No. 3 Ohio State 6, No. 47 Minnesota 1
Baseline Tennis Center – Minneapolis, Minn.
Singles Competition:
1. No. 5 Blaz Rola (OSU) def. Rok Bonin (MINN) 6-1, 6-1
2. No. 12 Chase Buchanan (OSU) def. No. 80 Leandro Toledo (MINN) 2-6, 6-1, 6-1
3. No. 54 Peter Kobelt (OSU) vs. Phillip Arndt (MINN) 6-4, 6-3
4. Ille Van Engelen (OSU) def. Julian Dehn (MINN) 7-6 (2), 7-5
5. No. 69 Devin McCarthy (OSU) def. Jack Hamburg (MINN) 6-3, 6-3
6. Mathieu Froment (MINN) def. Connor Smith (OSU) 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (8)
Doubles Competition:
1. No. 1 Chase Buchanan/Blaz Rola (OSU) def. No. 22 Rok Bonin/Julian Dehn (MINN) 8-5
2. No. 39 Devin McCarthy/Ille Van Engelen (OSU) def. Juan Pablo Ramirez/Leandro Toledo (MINN)
8-6
3. Peter Kobelt/Connor Smith (OSU) def. Phillip Arndt/Jack Hamburg (MINN) 8-4
Match Notes:
No. 47 Minnesota 9-6 (4-3 Big Ten)
No. 3 Ohio State 25-2 (7-0 Big Ten)
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,5,3,2,4,6)
