IU men's tennis will have a tough schedule ahead of them in order to have a successful 2019 season.
The Hoosiers will be road-tested on numerous occasions while also facing difficult competition at home. Here are three matches to keep an eye on.
March 10 at No. 14 Illinois
IU’s first opportunity for a ranked win comes on the road in Champaign, Illinois, against a surging Illini team. Illinois has steadily moved up the rankings since the beginning of the season and will look to give IU everything it has during the first weekend of spring break.
March 31 vs. No. 16 Michigan
This matchup wouldn’t have seemed that crucial a few weeks ago, but Michigan has since moved into the ITA rankings amid an impressive 5-2 start. A win over No. 18 University of Oklahoma pushed Michigan up in rankings. The Wolverines have continued to improve, reeling off four straight wins since Michigan fell to No. 11 Baylor University.
April 21 at No. 2 Ohio State
Arguably IU’s most important match comes in its regular season finale. Ohio State has comfortably sat in the No. 2 spot all year long. IU and Ohio State have one common opponent thus far and that’s Arizona State University. The Hoosiers lost to the Sun Devils 4-2, while the Buckeyes dominated en route to a 6-1 win.
One disadvantage for IU during this tough stretch of matches is that two of the three come on the road, and IU has yet to win a true road match this season. However, the coaches and players have time to prepare for the talent they will see on the court in conference play.
