All eyes were on Court Two in a match that decided the doubles point for the Michigan men’s tennis team. One point was all freshman Andrew Fenty and sophomore Mattias Siimar needed at No. 2 doubles to clinch against Washington. After an aggressive first serve from Fenty, Siimar put the return away with an imposing overhead to clinch the doubles point for the Wolverines.
“We were resilient and we got through it,” said Michigan coach Adam Steinberg. “I wasn’t thrilled with our energy in doubles but they’ve been so good all year.”
Siimar has proved to be a key figure for the Michigan men’s tennis team this season. A superb showing against the Huskies came as no surprise after impressive back-to-back singles wins against Cornell and Oklahoma in the week leading up to the match. Siimar has been nothing short of impressive in his second year as a Wolverine.
It was the singles courts where Siimar showed his true strengths. After going down twice in the first set, Siimar displayed a versatile performance and came through with an impressive victory 7-5, 6-2 against Washington’s Enzo Sommer.
“(Sommer) was good, he made a lot of balls,” Steinberg said, “Mattias stayed patient and did a really good job, usually he would go for a little more but he stayed strong, his fitness really helped and he played smart.”
The match was a crowd-pleaser, with fans in attendance amused by the determination of both Siimar and Sommer. Siimar needed to show great tenacity to come away with the victory, as almost every point turned out to be a rally longer than the last. It was a match that kept everyone on the edge of their seat.
Despite being just a sophomore, Siimar is one of the most vocal players on the courts, trying to bring the best out of his teammates. The team’s energy has been an important aspect of its success thus far.
“I think it’s one of our fundamentals,” Siimar said. “It brings the best out of us and if you don’t feel good, or you’re rusty, then the support of your teammates helps you get free.”