Men?s Tennis Blanks Huskers, 7-0, Begin Conference Season With Three Consecutive Wins

BOULDER ? For the first time since the 1992-93 season, the University of Colorado men’s tennis team has done something not seen in Boulder for quite some time, start the conference season 3-0. After dismantling the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 7-0 Sunday afternoon, the Buffaloes find themselves atop the Big 12 standings with a perfect 3-0 start.

Sunday’s match was played at the Millennium Hotel Harvest House outdoors courts instead of CU’s South Campus due to strong winds to the better suited outdoor facility at the Harvest House.

CU continued their dominance over Nebraska winning their fifth in a row over their rivals and their eighth straight played in Boulder. The Buffaloes, nationally ranked at No. 35, improve to 12-5 overall, while Nebraska falls to 10-7 and 0-3 in conference play.

CU’s three conference wins are the most of any CU men’s team since 1997-98 when they won five conference matches.

“The guys are very good; we’re a very good team and can compete with anybody throughout the year,” said CU head coach Sam Winterbotham. “We have some great matches coming up with Texas A&M, who’s in the top-20 (17^th nationally), and Texas, the No. 3 school in the country. Those are two great matches for us next weekend. We’re going to use what we’ve done so far in the Big 12 and be ready for those matches.”

Against the Huskers, CU dominated the doubles and singles matches from the start. In the doubles portion, CU swept all three positions for the single point.

At No. 1, Marko Bundalo and Eric Molnar won their fifth match of the spring taking an 8-4 decision; at No. 2 Chad Tsuda and Jan Zelezny won their second match in three outings, 8-5; and at No. 3, Marek Dvorak and Geoffrey Chizever teamed up for the first time this season winning 8-2.

With a 1-0 lead, CU seemed to be in cruise control as Tsuda, Zelezny, and Bundalo each won their respective matches in straight sets for the clinching four points.

At No. 5 singles, Tsuda defeated Mark Tate 6-0, 6-3 for his 10^th dual match victory of the spring (17th season); at No. 3; Zelezny made it 3-0 CU with his seventh straight victory defeating Adrian Szatmary 6-1, 6-3; and at No. 4, Bundalo clinched the Buffaloes team victory with his own 10^th win of the spring with seven aces defeating Renato Melo 6-2, 6-3.

Zelezny’s win was also his 10^th dual match of the spring and his 20^th of the year.

With a 4-0 lead, the Buffs added three more singles points to round out the scoring with Dvorak, Molnar, and Peter Bjork.

Bjork rallied from a 4-0 second set deficit at No. 2 and defeated James Clow 6-1, 7-5 for his 50th career singles victory.

Bjork, CU’s lone nationally ranked player at No. 121won his team-leading 12^th dual match and 22^nd of the year; Molnar won his 19^th of the season with a three-set winner over Jerry Posch 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 at No. 1; and at No. 6, Dvorak reached the winners’ circle for the fifth straight time and the 12^th out of his last 14 matches defeating Hendrik Stahmer 3-6, 6-2, 1-0(4).

Dvorak's victory pushed him over the 20-win plateau for the first time in his career.

CU continues their homestand at the South Campus Tennis Courts against Northern Colorado (Tuesday, April 4) followed with Texas A&M (April 7) and Texas (April 9). Other home matches are Boise State (April 14) and the home finale against in-state rival Denver (April 16). All home matches begin at 1 p.m.