IU hopes Midwest Regional meet will light doubles fire

Members of the IU men's tennis team have been preaching the need for match experience since early fall. Starting today, they will get their chance by playing some of the best singles players and doubles tandems in the Midwest.\n"I expect everyone to come out and play pretty hard, from all the schools," senior Neil Kenner said. "It's a pretty tough tournament, but I think our guys could do well."\nThe Hoosiers continue their fall season with the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regional Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich. from Oct. 20 to 25. The six-day event, which comprises singles and doubles brackets, is one of several regional championships around the collegiate tennis world. The singles finalists and doubles champion from the regional championship will earn spots in the 2005 ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships at Ohio State.\n"Its good to get those first couple matches under our belt and it's nice to go into this tournament as our second tournament rather than our first," Kenner said.\nFellow senior Dmytro Ishtuganov, junior David Bubenicek, sophomore Dara McLoughlin and Kenner are part of the 64-player main singles draw. Sophomore Michael McCarthy, seeded No. 11, is set to play Craig Smith of Wright State University in the qualifying draw for the singles bracket.\n"Qualifiers are important," McCarthy said. "It would be nice to be in the main draw, but if you're put in the qualifier, it's good match experience."\nMcCarthy looks to improve on his performance from last year's Midwest Regional Championship, where he won his first five matches, advancing through qualifier and into the round of 16.\n"I'd like to improve over each match," he said. "And do better than last year, maybe win more than two rounds in the main draw."\nBubenicek enters the Midwest Regional Championship after winning all four singles matches at the Cincinnati Collegiate Invitational. The Kromeriz, Czech Republic, native feels confident about his start to the season and looks to build on his experience. \n"I took some confidence from singles, because I was undefeated (in Cincinnati), and also match experience," Bubenicek said. "I'm hoping to do well in both singles and doubles (this weekend). But I expect more from singles so I am hoping for a good draw."\nBecause of a strong singles showing in Cincinnati, the Hoosiers quickly turned their attention to the sub-par doubles play. \nIU will have a trio of doubles teams competing in the 64-team doubles main draw Saturday. The pairings of Kenner and Ishtuganov, McCarthy and McLoughlin, and freshman Peter Antons and Bubenicek look to perform at a higher level against their Midwest counterparts.\n"We've put a fair amount of effort into our doubles," Kenner said. "I feel pretty good about all three of our doubles teams"