WHAT'S NEXT?
MEN'S TENNIS
BY PATRICK HERB
Young guns: Fab frosh
now leaders in year two
Four sophomores poised to take center court
W
hen head coach Greg
Van Emburgh assembles the UW men's tennis
team for practice in the fall,
he'll be looking to replace a
pair of decorated seniors.
The good news is, he only
has to look at his talented
sophomore class to see that
the program is in capable
and talented hands.
60 ยป VARSITY
JUN E 20, 2013
The Badgers' 2013-14 roster will feature four sophomores, all of whom gave a
glimpse at the future of Wisconsin tennis as newcomers
a year ago.
The quartet of Jakhongir
Jalalov (Uzbekistan), Alexander Kokorev (Belgium),
Frederik Strabo (Seattle)
and Oskar Wikberg (Swe-
@BadgerMTennis
den) accounted for more than half of
the team's conference wins in singles
action last season.
The freshmen group combined for
a 32-39 record overall with 12 wins
coming during Big Ten play.
Jalalov took home the team's Newcomer of the Year award, but an argument certainly could have made
for more than one winner.
Jalalov finished with an 11-11 singles record, while teaming with Wikberg as UW's most successful doubles team. Playing primarily third
doubles, the duo led the team with a
10-5 record.
The pairing clinched doubles victories against UMKC, NC State and
Northwestern.
Wikberg took home some postseason hardware of his own, earning the
team's Hardest Worker award after
netting a 9-14 record at courts one
through four.
He was instrumental in Wisconsin's success last season, clinching
victories against UMKC, Western Illinois, South Florida and Purdue.
Wikberg first showed off his promise last fall, leading the Badgers with
an 11-2 singles record and ending the
fall season with a second-place finish
at the Big Ten Indoor Tennis Tournament in November.
In the Badgers' final match of the
2013 season, three of their six singles
spots were filled with freshmen.
Combine that with returning seniors Petr Satral and Alex Robles and
Wisconsin should have the court covered in 2014.
