Green Bay, Cleveland State Set for Men's Tennis Championship Rematch

Men’s Championship Results:
(4) Cleveland State 4, (1) Wright State 0
(2) Green Bay 4, (6) Butler 1

INDIANAPOLIS – Rematches were all the rage at the Horizon League Tennis Championships. After UIC and Cleveland State set up a rematch of the 2011 final in the morning, Green Bay and Cleveland State ensured it would happen on the men’s side as well. Second-seeded Green Bay knocked off No. 6 Butler, 4-1, while No. 4 Cleveland State swept top-seeded Wright State, 4-0.

With matches moved indoors to the Indianapolis Racquet Club East, Green Bay dropped the doubles point before rallying with its singles for a 4-1 victory over Butler.

A highly competitive doubles match saw Butler collect its first win at No. 3, where Stephen McLoughlin and Sam O’Neill prevailed in a tie-break, 10-8, to pick up a 9-8 victory. Moments later, Tommy Marx and Zach Ervin closed out Michael Tenzer and Michael Tebon, 8-6, at No. 2, to secure the point for the Bulldogs.

Playing on opposite ends of IRC East, Green Bay seniors Craig Cox and Paul Swanson helped turn momentum for the Phoenix. Swanson, playing at No. 1 singles, raced out to a 6-1 first set win while Cox posted a first set victory at love at No. 4. Cox would be the first to record a singles win, knotting the match at 1-1 with a 6-0, 6-4 victory.

Michael Tenzer closed his win at No. 2 by a 6-4, 6-0 score, and when Swanson collected a late break to post a 6-1, 7-5 win, the Phoenix were just one win from advancing to their second straight Horizon League Championship.

Erik Finkenbrink made sure Green Bay returned, finishing off a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 3 to clinch the result.

In last year’s championship, Cleveland State knocked off Green Bay, 4-1, to post its fourth straight men’s tennis championship. The Vikings gave themselves a chance at a fifth consecutive title by knocking off the No. 1 seed, Wright State, 4-0, at the Butler Bubble.

The Vikings, who served for match against Wright State last weekend before suffering a narrow 4-3 loss, quickly grabbed the doubles point. Nolan Marks and Ali Shabib collaborated on an 8-5 win at No. 1, and with Martin Arguello and Lauri Makikalli threatening to put the Raiders on the board at No. 2, Matt Kuelker and Jorg Van Der Vloet posted an 8-6 win at No. 3 to put CSU up, 1-0, heading into singles play.

Cleveland State quickly opened a 2-0 lead as Shabib rolled to a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 4. Kuelker followed, winning his first set in a tie-break before using four breaks to post a 7-6, 6-2 victory and put the Vikings on the verge of their fifth straight championship appearance.

Yannick Goossens continued to be Martin Arguello’s nemesis; Goossens was the lone Horizon League player to knock off the League Player of the Year in the regular season, and with a trip to the conference championship on the line, Goossens came through again with a 7-5, 6-4 win.

The Vikings and Phoenix will begin their match at 1:30 p.m. ET from the Barbara Wynne Tennis Center on the campus of the North Central High School. The matches will be carried live on the Horizon League Network.

(4) Cleveland State 4, (1) Wright State 0
April 28, 2012 | Indianapolis, Ind. (Butler Bubble)
Horizon League Men’s Championship Semifinal

Doubles:
No. 1 – Nolan Marks/Ali Shabib (CSU) def. Jamison Clark/Hayden Joblin (WSU) 8-5
No. 2 – Martin Arguello/Lauri Makikalli (WSU) vs. Yannick Goossens/Matt Ford (CSU) 7-6
No. 3 – Matt Kuelker/Jorg Van Der Vloet (CSU) def. Myles Harris/Evan Neuman (WSU) 8-6

Singles:
No. 1 – Yannick Goossens (CSU) def. Martin Arguello (WSU) 7-5, 6-4
No. 2 – Matt Kuelker (CSU) def. Hayden Joblin (WSU) 7-6, 6-2
No. 3 – Lauri Makikalli (WSU) vs. Nolan Marks (CSU) 6-3, 2-6, 3-0
No. 4 – Ali Shabib (CSU) def. Michal Lyzwa (WSU) 6-3, 6-3
No. 5 – Jamison Clark (WSU) vs. Jorg Van Der Vloet (CSU) 3-3
No. 6 – Ricardo Pineda (WSU) vs. Matt Ford (CSU) DNS

(2) Green Bay 4, (6) Butler 1
April 28, 2012 | Indianapolis, Ind. (IRC East)
Horizon League Men’s Championship Semifinal

Doubles:
No. 1 – Erik Finkenbrink/Craig Cox (GB) vs. Austin Woldmoe/Billy Weldon  (BU) 6-7
No. 2 – Tommy Marx/Zach Ervin (BU) def. Michael Tenzer/Michael Tebon (GB) 8-6
No. 3 – Stephen McLoughlin/Sam O’Neill (BU) def. Felix Goepper/Paul Swanson (GB) 9-8(10-8)

Singles:
No. 1 – Paul Swanson (GB) def. Austin Woldmoe (BU) 6-1, 7-5
No. 2 – Michael Tenzer (GB) def. Tommy Marx (BU) 6-4, 6-0
No. 3 – Erik Finkenbrink (GB) def. Zach Ervin (BU) 6-3, 6-4
No. 4 – Craig Cox (GB) def. Pulok Bhattacharya (BU) 6-0, 6-4
No. 5 – Felix Goepper (GB) vs. Billy Weldon (BU) 5-7, 6-2, 1-2
No. 6 – Christoph Hopfe (GB) vs. Stephen McLoughlin (BU) 6-2, 5-6