Tennis to take on No. 9 Kentucky

On Tuesday afternoon the No. 56 IU men’s tennis team will travel to Lexington, Ky., to take on No. 9 Kentucky. The match will be the first dual match of the season for the Hoosiers, who are coming off an unsuccessful performance in the UCF Invitational to start the spring season.

IU Coach Randy Bloemendaal said the Hoosiers are more focused on improving as a team rather than immediate results early in the season.

“Early season, our team is predominantly underclassmen,” Bloemendaal said. “We have 10 guys who are sophomores and freshmen, and four guys who are seniors and juniors.”

Bloemendaal said it might take a month and a half before he truly understands how talented this team might be and what his top six might look like.

The Hoosiers enter Lexington with a four-match losing streak to the Wildcats. This trend is nothing to be concerned about, Bloemendaal said.

“I am not scared of that lineup,” Bloemendaal said. “They’ve got some talented guys, but we match up okay with those guys. I think it’s going to come down to how well we play at the bottom of the lineup and how well we’re going to do in doubles.”

One advantage the Hoosiers could have is sophomore Sam Monette. Last year Monette was one of only two Hoosiers to win a match against the Wildcats. Monette did not make the trip to Orlando, Fla., a week ago for personal reasons, but he will likely be a key component in IU’s chances of taming the Wildcats.

Bloemendaal had high praise for his team, saying it is one of the most talented in the country.

However, the inaugural Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings do not back up Bloemendaal’s claim. In those rankings the Hoosiers have just one player in the top 100, junior Sven Lalic at No. 80. In comparison, the Wildcats have three players in the top 100.

“You have to be healthy at the right times because there are just a few opportunities to really do well in the rankings,” Bloemendaal said. “There’s two tournaments, and if you’re playing well for those two tournaments and you’re healthy, I think Sam Monette is definitely a top 100 player. I think Dimitrije Tasic is somebody who would be knocking on the door, especially with what he did in the Big Ten singles.”

Senior Dimitrije Tasic advanced to the finals of the Big Ten Singles Tournament in October before losing to Purdue senior Mark Kovacs. Tasic joins Monette as the only Hoosiers to win matches against the Wildcats.

Bloemendaal emphasized the effect the bottom of his lineup will have on Tuesday’s match. He said he believes the best stories will come from the players who aren’t in the top three who step up.

Bloemendaal said confidence may be important, considering the hostile location of the match, and he hopes this match will give him a measuring stick on how the team will perform on the road this season.

“Crowds are tight in there,” Bloemendaal said. “They’re rough, and they like to beat Indiana. It doesn’t matter what sport it is. Those fans always want to be beat Indiana in everything.”

Follow reporter Michael Hughes on Twitter @MichaelHughes94.