May 7, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Six Big Ten teams will compete in the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships beginning this weekend with first and second round action taking place May 8-10 at various sites.
Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, and Wisconsin will all be competing in this year's event. Along with these six squads, eight Big Ten student-athletes were selected as singles and doubles participants in the championships.
Big Ten Champion Ohio State earned the overall No. 3 seed in this year's bracket. The Buckeyes (31-1) will battle Xavier (17-7) on Friday in first-round action on their home court in Columbus, Ohio. This is the 10th consecutive year that OSU has earned its way into the NCAA Championships.
Michigan will join Ohio State in Columbus. The Wolverines (13-14) finished tied for fourth in the Big Ten and will play Notre Dame (13-12) on Friday.
Illinois is making its 14th straight appearance and is tabbed as the No. 13 seed in this year's event. The Illini (21-8) finished second in the Big Ten Championship and will host Western Michigan (18-8) on Friday.
Wisconsin (16-10) will travel to Champaign, Ill., to face Louisville (20-7) while Minnesota (18-7) will head west to Los Angeles where the Gophers will meet New Mexico (20-5) in Friday's opening round. Northwestern (18-8) rounds out the six conference squads to compete in the NCAA Regional and will look to face Wake Forest (20-9) in Lexington, Ky., Friday morning to open tournament play.
In the singles portion of the championships, OSU's Bryan Koniecko is the Big Ten's automatic qualifier for the second straight year. Joining him in the singles bracket are Illinois' Dennis Nevolo and Roy Kalmanovich, Ohio State's Justin Kronauge and Steven Moneke and Wisconsin's Moritz Baumann and Marek Michalicka.
In doubles, OSU's Moneke and Kronauge are the conference's automatic qualifying duo. Joining them in the field of at-large selections is Illinois' Nevolo and Ruan Roelofse.
In addition, five Big Ten student-athletes were chosen as alternates for the championships in both singles and doubles. Among the eight Division I athletes to be named alternates for singles play is Minnesota sophomore Ishay Hadash. Wisconsin's Baumann and Michalicka were also slected as an alternate pairing for doubles competition.
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