Michigan rolls through Toledo in NCAA Tournament opener

After falling in the Big Ten Tournament championship, the Wolverines aimed to rebound quickly. And entering Saturday’s match against Toledo, the No. 7 Michigan men’s tennis team was hungry for vengeance to start the NCAA Tournament off with a win.

In dominant fashion, Michigan (25-4 overall) made quick work of the Rockets (18-6), 4-0, dismantling its opponents in each match they played.

Breezing through their opponents, junior Jacob Bickersteth and senior Ondrej Styler broke early, and never relinquished their advantage to win without dropping a game.

Much like their teammates, fifth-year Patrick Maloney and junior Nino Ehrenschneider also powered through their match. The duo broke early, cruising to a 6-1 victory. And with their second win, the Wolverines clinched the elusive doubles point.

Despite the final match being abandoned, fifth-year Andrew Fenty and junior Gavin Young were well on their way to a victory, leading 5-1.

“(Doubles) has been our focus for the last month,” Michigan coach Adam Steinberg said. “We had a time in the season where we were really struggling with it, and the strength of our team for the past few years has been our doubles… and I don’t think we’ve practiced it harder than we have in the last month and it’s really paying off.”

As the Wolverines transitioned to singles, they hoped to build upon the abundant success they had in doubles.

Bickersteth followed upon his victory with another impressive performance. Starting off strong, he won the first four games of the first set and would drop just two games en route to a 6-1, 6-1 victory.

“I tried to stay aggressive throughout the whole match,” Bickersteth said. “I tried to hit heavy forehands and make the (opponent) uncomfortable, and it worked out pretty well.”

Fenty also built on his successes, winning the first set handily. In the second set, he worked his way out on an early hold, and won the final five games to close the match, winning, 6-0, 6-3.

Maloney continued to press the advantage, finding his stride with a break in the middle of the first set. Similarly to his teammates, he won in straight sets. As Maloney earned Michigan’s fourth point of the day, play was abandoned on all remaining courts as Michigan secured the victory.

Michigan put on a clinic as it continues to roll. The Wolverines capitalized on Toledo’s mistakes all afternoon as they marched toward a monumental victory in the first round of the NCAA Championships.

“(There are) 32 teams left in the whole country,” Steinberg said. “We know it’s going to be tough, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.”

All season, Michigan has been a contender to take home a national championship. And after securing its first victory in the NCAA Tournament, Michigan has made a statement as it continues to push for a national title.