As the temperatures begin to rise in Bloomington, it shows spring is right around the corner. And with spring coming, so is the start of Big Ten play for Indiana men’s tennis.
Throughout the fall season, Indiana showcased what it could accomplish in the regular season and through conference play. At the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Sectionals in early November, redshirt junior Facundo Yunis advanced to the Sweet 16 in the singles competition.
On the doubles side, two Hoosier duos faced off against each other in the third-place match after losing in the semifinals. Ultimately, Yunis and redshirt junior Sam Landau took down graduate student Michael Andre and sophomore Matteo Antonescu.
At the NCAA Individual Championships, Yunis and Landau made a run but were eventually sent home in the round of 32. Just a week earlier, Landau fell in the round of 64 for the singles championships. It was a strong fall ball showing from the Hoosiers that left much to look forward to in January.
After a 2-0 start to the regular spring season, Indiana went up against two top-10 teams in Mississippi State University on Jan. 18 and the University of Virginia on Jan. 23. The Hoosiers lost by a combined score of 10-2, but the games provided the team with learning experiences and tape to improve.
In the next stretch of games, Indiana went 4-1 and picked up a notable 4-0 win over Texas Tech University on Feb. 20. The Hoosiers now sit at 6-3 overall with UCLA and USC on the horizon.
The start of conference play is an important part of the season for Indiana as it will have intense competition throughout the rest of the season. Despite being ranked as the 59th best men's tennis team in the country, nine Big Ten teams rank ahead of the Hoosiers, including No. 1 Ohio State. The Hoosiers will have their work cut out for them as nine of their 13 remaining matches are against higher ranked teams.
Leading the charge for the Hoosiers is the California native Landau. In the fall season, he became the first Hoosier since Jakub Praibis in 2004 to qualify for the NCAA Individual Championships singles competition. He also qualified for the doubles championships. Landau is 4-1 at the doubles spot thus far this season and 3-1 at singles after missing the first couple of matches due to injury.
With four years of college experience, Landau is a leader for the Hoosiers and takes on the singles one position in the matches he plays. With an all-around polished game, there are very few weaknesses to spot. He has a reliable serve and accurate forehand and backhand. His competition will be tough moving forward, but if Landau continues to improve and play like he has all season, he will be a bright spot for Indiana.
Also coming off a strong fall campaign is Yunis. After making it the farthest in the singles position at the ITA Sectionals, he’s 4-1 in singles with three matches unfinished due to the long rallies he grinds out. He was often partnered with Landau in the fall at doubles. This spring he’s played eight of nine matches with sophomore Braeden Gelletich. They’re 4-4 and working on combining their skill sets together, but the younger Gelletich is still improving from his 3-3 fall doubles record.
Landau’s new main doubles partner is Jip van Assendelft, a senior from the Netherlands who’s also played at Boise State University and the University of Oklahoma. Van Assendelft, who only played three matches in the fall, has struggled in singles play and is 2-4 this year, but he has been a bright spot in doubles. Van Assendelft and Landau are currently the No. 13 ranked doubles team in the country and are 3-1. Their skill sets have worked well together with van Assendelft’s height, coming in at 6-foot-3, combined with Landau’s baseline skills.
Also at the doubles position is Andre and Antonescu, who are the No. 65 ranked doubles team in the country. With two highly skilled doubles partnerships, Indiana will have a shot at making a run in the Big Ten. They have veteran leadership and because of the growth shown by individual players, Indiana men’s tennis will look to compete in a strong conference schedule.
The Hoosiers' first conference matchup will be against UCLA on March 6 at the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington.
