The Ohio State Men’s Tennis team huddles up before the Ohio State-Michigan State match on Feb. 13. Ohio State won 4-0. Credit: Christian Harsa | Special Projects Director
Coming off a runner-up finish in the Big Ten Conference last year, the Ohio State men’s tennis team got off to a successful start in two locations last week.
The first tournament was the September ATP Challenger in Columbus where senior James Trotter and redshirt junior Andrew Lutschaunig reached the doubles finals.
The rest of the team went to Georgia for the Southern Intercollegiates where junior Robert Cash led the team, going undefeated in three singles and three doubles matches.
Associate head coach Justin Kronauge, who went to Georgia with the team while head coach Ty Tucker stayed in Columbus with Trotter and Lutschaunig, said it was good for the players to get off to such a great start.
“It’s just good for the guys to be back in the competition,” Kronauge said. “I thought the guys played well with a lot of energy and came out and got some wins.”
The two tournaments started the Buckeyes’ fall season with four events left on the docket. During this time, athletes play individually rather than as a team, which they will do during the spring season starting in January.
The ATP Challenger featured not only college athletes but also professional tennis players.
Trotter and Lutschaunig got off to a quick start with a win during the first round in three sets against Evan King and No. 107 doubles player in the world Jackson Withrow.
After a second round win, Trotter and Lutschaunig reached Saturday’s finals, but fell to professional tennis veterans Stefan Kozlov and Peter Polansky.
In the Southern Intercollegiates, Cash went 3-0 in his singles matches while graduate Matej Vocel, who played in his first matches as a Buckeye, lost on the first day, yet came back to win his second two matches.
Cash joined junior Justin Boulais for two wins against sophomores Micah Braswell and Evin McDonald of Texas and No. 25 ranked duo of graduates Hamish Stewart and Tristan McCormick of Georgia.
Cash said he and Boulais are effective not only because of their skills on the court, but also their friendship outside tennis.
“It felt really good to be out there with him,” Cash said. “We’re such good friends that it also helps with our chemistry, so I think we’re a great team together and we complement each other in many ways.”
Kronauge said that Ohio State is a good team and hopes that the Buckeyes can take the momentum from their first matches into the rest of the season.
“We’re a strong team,” Kronauge said. “Hopefully they can take the wins and the confidence and move on to the next tournament.”
