DENVER, Colo. – Following a two-week layoff, the Western Illinois men's tennis returns to action at the Summit League Championships. The event will be played at the Gates Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Denver.
Fifth-seed Western (2-15 overall, 0-5 Summit) will open play on Friday (April 25) versus fourth-seed IUPUI (5-18, 2-3) at 3 p.m. central. The winner will advance and play the host (and top-seeded) Pioneers on Saturday.
This year marks the first time since 2000 that every team advanced to the postseason tournament.
OPPONENT: vs. IUPUI (Summit League Championship)
WHEN: Friday, April 25 - 3 p.m. central
WHERE: Gates Tennis Center in Denver, Colorado
TWITTER: @WIUAthletics and @SummitChamps for updates throughout the match
WEBSITE: The Summit League
PROBABLE STARTING LINE-UP (overall record/record at singles position)
1. Christoph Haertel (5-8; 5-8)
2. Mitch Granger (4-12; 4-8)
3. Max Cederkall (1-15; 1-11)
4. Brandon Meeker (1-16; 1-12)
5. Chris Bunch (2-15; 2-11)
6. Brett Furmanski (2-15; 2-11)
Record at doubles position
1. Haertel/Cederkall (1-4)
2. Granger/Meeker (2-1)
3. Bunch/Furmanski (1-9)
SUMMIT LEAGUE POST-SEASON NOTES: Western will make its first appearance in the Summit League Tournament since 2011, a 4-2 defeat to IUPUI… The Fighting Leathernecks have won three tournament titles all-time: 1995, 1996 and 2006… Western owns four runner-up finishes in program history… The lone regular season championship came in 2008.
LAST TIME VS. IUPUI: Western faced IUPUI to close out its Spring Break schedule, playing host to the Jaguars in Galesburg. The Fighting Leathernecks were without the services of number one singles player Christoph Haertel (injury), and had just five players available for the match. IUPUI recorded a 6-0 victory.
Mitch Granger lost a tie-breaker in the first set at number one singles to Jason Jaruvang and fell 6-3 in the second set… Max Cederkall dropped a 3-6, 1-6 decision to Alex Toliver… Brandon Meeker and Chris Bunch both fell 3-6, 4-6 in their singles match at number three and four, respectively… Brett Furmanski fell 1-6, 0-6 at number five… Bunch and Cederkall dropped their doubles match 4-8 and the first doubles was unfinished. Western had to forfeit the third doubles match, giving IUPUI the doubles point.
LAST TIME OUT: Western snapped a 10-match losing streak (and 17 versus Division I opponents) following a 5-2 victory over Chicago State… Christoph Haertel won his number one singles 6-2, 6-4… Mitch Granger went to a third set before capping a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 come-from-behind win at number two… Chris Bunch won 6-2, 6-2 at number five, and Brett Furmanski captured a 7-6, 7-5 win at number six… Western won the doubles point when Haertel and Max Cederkall won 8-7 at number one doubles while Granger and Brandon Meeker won at number two 8-5.
