Sept. 22, 2005
NORMAL, Ill. -
The Illinois State men's tennis team will compete in the 30th annual Milwaukee Tennis Classic this weekend. The invitational, hosted by Marquette, will be played at the Western Racquet Club.
The Redbird women's tennis team will also compete in the Milwaukee Tennis Classic this weekend. Both teams will compete in a round-robin series. The team that compiles the most points will be declared tournament champion.
This is the Redbird's first time participating in the Milwaukee Classic. Head coach Greg Kennett is eager to find out how well Marquette holds an event.
"It's the first time we have been to Marquette for an invitational like this and we're really excited about it," said Kennett. "The tournament should be a really nice event. The games are held in a nice place and we should have a nice schedule too."
The veteran Redbird team got a taste of victory last weekend. Each player competed in a specific flight. The `Birds determined their flights through an intra-squad tournament held at practice earlier in the week, so each player could compete at their level of competition. The line up worked out so well at Ball State that coach Kennett won't have much to change this weekend.
"Everybody played where they should have," said Kennett. "We'll probably keep what we had last weekend, but we may switch up the doubles teams."
The men's tennis team is working on establishing themselves individually as knowledgeable players and becoming more comfortable with the game. They are looking to produce good results in practice and during games in the fall, so the team can flourish in the spring against conference opponents.
"Right now we are focusing on the bigger picture," said Kennett. "The fall is about developing as players, working hard and playing without the fear of losing."
The Redbirds competitors this weekend will include Marquette, Northern Illinois and IPFW, all three of which competed in last week's Ball State Invitational along with the Redbirds. The men's tennis team will start at 11a.m. on Friday morning.
As a special bonus, Marquette has invited the players and other guests to join them at the Milwaukee Brewers-St. Louis Cardinals game on Friday night. They will also be hosting a BBQ for everyone on Saturday evening.
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