5-4: Wisconsin tennis loses tiebreaker rally at Middle Tennessee State

Wisconsin men's tennis failed to secure its first road win of the season on Saturday, dropping a 6-5 decision to Middle Tennessee State in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The loss caps a split weekend for the Badgers, who improved to 6-6 overall but remain 0-1 in Big Ten play.

The team entered the weekend with a historical hurdle on Friday. Wisconsin had never defeated Pennsylvania in program history, including a 4-3 loss last year. At the Nielsen Tennis Center, the Badgers erased that record with a 6-1 victory over the Quakers. Seniors Josef Dodridge and junior Osgar O'Hoisin secured the opening doubles point with a 6-1 win. Sophomores Daniel Soyfer and Chase Colton followed with a 6-2 result. In singles, Colton, Soyfer, Dodridge, and freshman Jesper Freimuth all won in straight sets. O'Hoisin closed the match with a 7-5, 4-6, 10-2 win.

Saturday's contest at Middle Tennessee State proved far more competitive. The Blue Raiders, who had not lost at home this season, held a strong defensive record. Wisconsin took the early momentum, with O'Hoisin and Dodridge winning the first doubles match 6-4. Senior Chema Carranza and Freimuth won the second doubles point 6-2. Soyfer added a 6-4, 6-3 singles victory, extending his personal season record to 10-0.

Middle Tennessee State responded with three consecutive singles wins to take a 3-2 lead. Dodridge leveled the score at 3-3 with a 7-6, 6-1 win. The outcome rested on the final No. 2 singles match between Carranza and Tom Moonen. Carranza lost the first set in a 7-6 tiebreak but won the second 6-1. He led 5-4 in the deciding set before Moonen rallied for a 7-5 finish.

Head coach Danny Westerman acknowledged the frustration of the result. "This one stings," Westerman told UWBadgers.com. "We need to keep working. We put ourselves in these situations so we can eventually get over the hump."

Wisconsin returns to the Nielsen Tennis Center next weekend. The Badgers will face Cornell and UW-Green Bay in a Sunday doubleheader.