Then-junior Mikael Torpegaard defeated Minnesota’s Matic Spec, 6-4, 6-4 in a match on April 14. Credit: Courtesy of OSU Athletics
The No. 3 Ohio State men’s tennis team finished its regular season with a perfect 15-0 record at home with a 7-0 victory over Northwestern.
Ohio State senior Mikael Torpegaard and freshman John McNally clinched the doubles point for the Buckeyes with a 6-4 win. Then, Torpegaard picked up a singles win against Northwestern sophomore Dominik Stary (6-1, 7-5), gaining another point.
“We’ve had a wonderful season so far,” Torpegaard said. “We are far from done. It’s a huge advantage playing in front of your home crowd and we’ve had unbelievable crowds throughout the whole season. It’s nice knowing you have that much support.”
After clinching the final point for Ohio State’s win against Illinois Saturday, junior Martin Joyce picked up some momentum where he gained two points for the Buckeyes. He beat Chris Ephron in a singles match (7-5, 6-1) and teamed up with sophomore J.J. Wolf in a doubles match for a 6-2 victory.
“Today, the biggest thing was the serve,” Joyce said. “It’s what kept me around. It was a little bit of a slow start. I just had to stay in it and chip away and a couple times it got through. That was all I needed.”
Ohio State seniors Mikael Torpegaard, Matt Mendes and Riley Reist were honored after the matches.
“It’s been so much fun, playing on this team, and playing for this program” Torpegaard said. “I’m very thankful for being here. At the same time, it’s exciting for what’s happening next, trying out the pro life and seeing how that works out after I’m done here. “
The Buckeyes will travel for their last weekend of regular-season play. Ohio State will take on Indiana University on Friday and Purdue next Sunday.
