The Lawrence University men’s tennis team began their season in early February and got off to a slow start. They started with a record of 1-4, but picked up their play after that initial slump. They battled their way back to a .500 record at 6-6, with quality wins over Concordia University (Wis.), MSOE and Hamline University. No. 1 singles player Ryan Dunn was the anchor for their good play.
In every match the Vikings have won, Dunn has won both his singles and doubles matches. He has had three different doubles partners this year, including Dan Hertel, Travis Fondow and Kazunari Kishida. Dunn has an overall record of 11-4 in singles play and 8-7 record in doubles play. Dunn won the conference tournament at the No. 1 spot in singles last year and made it to the semifinals at the No. 1 spot for doubles with partner Dan Hertel.
It seems that Dunn’s performance mirrors that of his team. His doubles team has been on a slide recently, losing its last four matches, and this has resulted in the Vikings losing their last four matches overall. The most recent match came against nationally eighth-ranked Grinnell College. Grinnell swept the Vikings 9-0 to continue Lawrence’s skid.
The Vikings have also lost to Luther College, Calvin College and the University of Dubuque on their recent losing streak. They look to get back on track this weekend as they face Monmouth Friday followed by Illinois Wesleyan and Beloit in a doubleheader Saturday.
Men’s tennis season underway
