2 - The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, March 28, 1994 Men's tennis looksdown long road to conference championship Michigan faces tough competition from Big Ten opponents, looks to team leader Braku By JENNIFER DUBERSTEIN FOR THE DAILY If a team's season is like ahighway, then the Michigan men's tennis team better get ready for a long ride. The Wolverines are about to embark on their Big Ten season with the final destination counting on the outcome of every match. The team to beat in the conference is nationally ranked Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are the two-year reign- ing Big Ten champions. They have not lost a conference match in the past two years. "Minnesota will be our biggest match of the Big Ten dual meet sea- son," Michigan coach Brian Eisner said "We have an excellent chance against them." Although Minnesota will be atough opponent, the Wolverines will face 'many other viable teams this season. In mid-April, Michigan will face Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are not in the Big Ten conference, but this match will help give Michigan a sense of where they stand. The Big Ten is a very competitive conference for men's tennis. "Every team has a number of very good players. We have a lot of very good teams," Eisner said. "You have got to be ready to play every match." Eisner expects Northwestern and Iowa, along with Minnesota, to be the toughest competitors. The next group- ing of close teams consists ofMichigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Wis- consin. Michigan is looking to fit in some- where at the top, but exactly where is unknown. Eisner said the biggest obstacle for the Wolverines is the Wolverines. "The biggest obstacle that any team has is itself," Eisner said. "It isn't really some other team or some other player. It is really continuing to im- prove and doing the things that are going to make you a better team. "We can't control what is happen- ing with other teams. The only people we can really control are ourselves." Michigan has been working on improving its doubles play and indi- vidual problems. The doubles points could become the deciding factor for the Wolverines in close matches. Each team member has different weaknesses that need to be worked on. "We are looking at players' styles of play and various facets of their games," Eisner said. "The things that we want to add to their game or the things that they are not doing quite as well." Team relaxation will also be ama- jor factor affecting the Wolverine's Trivia Answer In 1991, the Michigan football team went to the Gator Bowl after finishing with a record of 9-3. The men's basketball team posted a 14-15 record in 1990-91 and lost to Colorado in the first round of the NIT. The hockey team went 34-10-3 and lost to BU in the second round of the NCAA tourney. record. "We have been working hard on having players be much more re- laxed," Eisner said. "Not getting too intense and not getting too hyper, so they can compete and really play their best." Dan Brakus, the Wolverines' No. 1 singles player, has made the NCAA tournament for the past two years. Eisner said Brakus is cur- rently ranked about 16th in the na- tion. His toughest opponent in the Big Ten will probably be Minnesota's Paul Pridmore. "(Brakus') particular style of play is one where he plays with a great deal of power in all aspects of his game," Eisner said. "It is very difficult to beat him because he controls the match with his power. "He doesn't make many mental errors. He doesn't make simple mis- takes. If the match is close - when it gets to the key points that are going to determine a match - he is playing these points very smart." Brakus' play, along with the en- is for help tire team's performance, will be tested@ in their first match against Minnesota this Saturday. "If we are fortunate enough and if we win all of these matches, then that is great and we know we are in an excellent position," Eisner said. "If we lose a match or two, again it will tell us where we are. It is important for us as a team to always know where we are." Hopefully for the Wolverines the season will be a map thatleads to a Big Ten championship title. Of~ the W.ek,. WHO: Gustavo Borges TEAM: Men's Swimming HOMETOwN: Barbosa, Brazil YEAR: Junior EuGIBIUTY: Junior WHY: Borges was a part of five school records this weekend at the NCAA Championships. He won the 100- and the 200- yard free and was the anchor for the winning 400, 800 free relays and the 200 medley relay. Borges also placed second in the 50 free and was the meet's high scorer with 57 points. BACKGROUND: Borges won the silver medal in the 100 meter free at the 1992 Olympic Games. 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