By Jake Markowitz
The Iowa men’s tennis team will try to regain its confidence after a rough ending to last road trip when it hosts three teams this weekend.
The home stand kicks off today with a match against DePaul (11-8) at 11 a.m. The Hawkeyes have many factors working in their favor when they square up with the Blue Demons.
For one, DePaul is yet to win an away match. The Blue Devils are a disappointing 0-5 on the road with only one match coming within 3 points of their opponent. Iowa’s 7-2 home record won’t make things any easier for them.
The other factor in Iowa’s favor is history. The Hawkeyes have dominated the matchup, leading the all-time series 9-3.
The Hawkeyes will need a strong showing early to gather momentum heading into the nightcap.
At 6 p.m. Iowa will welcome No. 2 Ohio State to the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreational Complex. The Buckeyes (18-3, 2-0) are by far the strongest team the Hawkeyes have played up to this point.
With their only three losses coming against teams all ranked in the top 10, the Buckeyes have asserted themselves as a powerhouse this season. Ohio State’s impressive résumé includes wins over No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 8 Oklahoma State, No. 12 Florida, as well as seven other nationally ranked schools.
“Ohio State is always a tough team to play,” head coach Ross Wilson said. “We have to make sure we stay focused and have the right mindset to win.”
Last year, Ohio State swept Iowa, 4-0. However, that match was played in Columbus and without some players who have continued to improve their this season. One of those players is redshirt freshman Kareem Allaf.
Allaf has a 9-6 record in his first spring season competing for the Hawkeyes. Competing in the No. 3 spot for most of the year, he recently stepped onto the No. 2 and No. 1 spot for the first time.
“Consistency was definitely a problem for me at the beginning of the season, where I would play one good match and then one bad match,” Allaf said. “Recently, I have been able to play at a high level consistently.”
