MONROE- In dominating fashion, the Monroe tennis team rolled to a Cheesemaker doubles tournament championship on Saturday.
The Cheesemakers had four of their five doubles teams playing in championship matches with three winning titles. The Cheesemakers beat out Sauk Prairie 25-19 for the title.
Monroe coach Jim Bartholf said his tennis players have really elevated their play recently.
"We are playing our best tennis now," Bartholf said. "This was a perfect time for them, especially for the doubles teams. Our goal was to win it."
Monroe seniors Matt Turek and Levi Janssens won a championship match at No. 1 doubles over McFarland's Kasper Schjodt-Hansen and Anthony Weidner in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
"I think right now we are peaking at the right time of year," Turek said.
Turek and Janssens' unbeaten day didn't come without a close call. Turek and Janssens won a critical second-set tiebreaker in a semifinal match against Baraboo's Kris Kruse and Alex Boehlke to propel them to a 6-4, 7-6 (4) win.
Janssens said winning the match could give them a better seed at the Badger Conference tournament.
"You always want to do well on your home turf," Janssens said. "It's a relief because Baraboo is a really tough team."
Janssens said the keys to winning the match were taking control of the net and communicating.
"They are really my one chance of getting a team to the state tournament," Bartholf said.
Artem Bralgin and Dan Becker at No. 3 doubles won a title match, defeating Sauk Prairie's Tyler Mazerek and Austin Nolden, 6-4, 7-5. Bralgin and Becker earned a title shot by defeating Mario Younger and Mitch Speigle of Monona Grove, 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinal match.
Nick Hendrickson and Pete Gellings at No. 4 doubles won a championship match by defeating Monona Grove's Eli Snyder and Mario Testolin, 7-6 (2), 6-1.
The Cheesemakers' No. 2 doubles team of Mark Hoesly and Jim Kundert were on the verge of winning a title over Sauk Prairie's Mike Hruby and Joe Breunig rolling to a 6-1 first set victory. Hoesly and Kundert rode the energy to a 4-1 lead in the second set. Hruby and Breunig stormed back winning five straight points by capitalizing on unforced errors and stealing the second set 6-4. The Eagles won the decisive third set 10-5 and Hoesly and Kundert finished second.
"We kind of lost our cool," Bartholf said. "I think they pressed themselves right out of a win."
Carson Root and Matt Le at No. 1 A doubles won a third place match over Monona Grove's Carl Sorge and Derek Markgraf, 6-2, 6-1.
Root and Le, usually Monroe's No. 1 and No. 2 singles players, lost a semifinal match against the Sauk Prairie duo of Erik Brattset and Brandon Fiene 6-2, 6-3, who are both expected to play doubles at UW-Whitewater next season.
"I don't think we lost because we didn't play well," Le said. "They are just better than us. I think for us today means nothing. To us it's not that big because we are not doubles players."
The Cheesemakers had four of their five doubles teams playing in championship matches with three winning titles. The Cheesemakers beat out Sauk Prairie 25-19 for the title.
Monroe coach Jim Bartholf said his tennis players have really elevated their play recently.
"We are playing our best tennis now," Bartholf said. "This was a perfect time for them, especially for the doubles teams. Our goal was to win it."
Monroe seniors Matt Turek and Levi Janssens won a championship match at No. 1 doubles over McFarland's Kasper Schjodt-Hansen and Anthony Weidner in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
"I think right now we are peaking at the right time of year," Turek said.
Turek and Janssens' unbeaten day didn't come without a close call. Turek and Janssens won a critical second-set tiebreaker in a semifinal match against Baraboo's Kris Kruse and Alex Boehlke to propel them to a 6-4, 7-6 (4) win.
Janssens said winning the match could give them a better seed at the Badger Conference tournament.
"You always want to do well on your home turf," Janssens said. "It's a relief because Baraboo is a really tough team."
Janssens said the keys to winning the match were taking control of the net and communicating.
"They are really my one chance of getting a team to the state tournament," Bartholf said.
Artem Bralgin and Dan Becker at No. 3 doubles won a title match, defeating Sauk Prairie's Tyler Mazerek and Austin Nolden, 6-4, 7-5. Bralgin and Becker earned a title shot by defeating Mario Younger and Mitch Speigle of Monona Grove, 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinal match.
Nick Hendrickson and Pete Gellings at No. 4 doubles won a championship match by defeating Monona Grove's Eli Snyder and Mario Testolin, 7-6 (2), 6-1.
The Cheesemakers' No. 2 doubles team of Mark Hoesly and Jim Kundert were on the verge of winning a title over Sauk Prairie's Mike Hruby and Joe Breunig rolling to a 6-1 first set victory. Hoesly and Kundert rode the energy to a 4-1 lead in the second set. Hruby and Breunig stormed back winning five straight points by capitalizing on unforced errors and stealing the second set 6-4. The Eagles won the decisive third set 10-5 and Hoesly and Kundert finished second.
"We kind of lost our cool," Bartholf said. "I think they pressed themselves right out of a win."
Carson Root and Matt Le at No. 1 A doubles won a third place match over Monona Grove's Carl Sorge and Derek Markgraf, 6-2, 6-1.
Root and Le, usually Monroe's No. 1 and No. 2 singles players, lost a semifinal match against the Sauk Prairie duo of Erik Brattset and Brandon Fiene 6-2, 6-3, who are both expected to play doubles at UW-Whitewater next season.
"I don't think we lost because we didn't play well," Le said. "They are just better than us. I think for us today means nothing. To us it's not that big because we are not doubles players."
