TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo men's tennis team begins Mid-American Conference play this weekend with a pair of home matches against league foes. The Rockets host Northern Illinois on Friday at 1:00 p.m. and Western Michigan on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

Both matches are scheduled to be played outside at the UT Varsity Courts. If this weekend's matches need to be moved inside for whatever reason, they will be held at Shadow Valley Tennis Club.

"It's been a year since we were on the doorstep of the 2020 MAC season, and we're finally back," head coach Al Wermer said. "It feels great to get conference play going, not to mention playing outdoors in mid-March. I think our guys will respond incredibly well to this challenging opening weekend."

Last Time Out

Toledo last took the court on Feb. 28 at home against Xavier. Playing in their third match in three days, the Rockets toppled the Musketeers in a thrilling 4-3 finish.

The outcome of the match came down to the No. 5 singles court, where freshman Wojciech Szczesny came back to defeat Cambell Nakayama (4-6, 6-4, 6-4) to give the Rockets the victory.

The Musketeers claimed the doubles point by winning close matches on courts No. 2 and 3. They were also victorious in singles play on the top court and the No. 4 court, but Toledo was able to win at the other four spots to defeat Xavier.

In addition to Szczesny's win, sophomore Krzysztof Wetoszka defeated his opponent on court No. 2; senior Thawin Suksathaporn won on court No. 3: and sophomore Max Skaer came out on top on the No. 6 court to help move the Rockets' overall record to 4-2 this season.

Wojciech Szczesny Named MAC Player of the Week

Following his clutch victory in the win over Xavier, Wojciech Szczesny was named MAC Singles Player of the Week on March 3.

Szczesny capped a perfect 3-0 weekend with a thrilling finish in Sunday's match against Xavier.  Playing on the No. 5 court against the Musketeers, Szczesny defeated his opponent (6-4, 4-6, 6-4) to provide the clinching point in Toledo's 4-3 win over Xavier. Szczesny was victorious against his singles opponents from Cleveland State (Feb. 26) and Tiffin (Feb. 27) as well, winning on courts No. 6 and 5, respectively. He is now 4-0 in singles play this season.

Fan Attendance Policy (Outdoors)

Face Coverings Required: All employees and students are required to wear cloth face coverings while on campus, except while alone in an enclosed space with floor-to-ceiling walls with the door closed, eating or outside practicing social distancing.

Social Distancing Enforced: While on campus, all individuals should keep at least 6 feet from others. Signage in common areas serves as a reminder and guide for everyone to keep proper distance. 

About Northern Illinois

The Huskies are 11-1 this season, starting their season with 1- straight victories before falling at DePaul last weekend. Bor Schweiger Muzar is 7-3 playing on the No. 1 singles court this season, and Oliver Valentinsson is 10-1 in singles play.

About Western Michigan

The Broncos are also 11-1 this year, their lone loss coming at Notre Dame. WMU swept the MAC's Player of the Week awards this week, with Fynn Lohse winning singles player of the week and teaming with Arjun Honnappa to win the doubles team of the week. That pairing is 9-2 this year, helping the Broncos secure the doubles point in all 11 contests.