Only one point away from victory, Michigan junior Bjorn Swenson diligently dribbled the ball before rising up into his serve. Rocketing off his racket, the ball had the perfect angle and flew just out of reach of his opponent’s backhand to secure the win.
Through an aggressive and opportunistic approach, Swenson picked up the Wolverines’ sole victory as Michigan fell to No. 22 UCLA in the Big Ten Tournament. In the No. 2 singles match, Swenson defeated Emon van Loben Sels, ranked among the top 125 nationally, to capture his seventh-consecutive singles victory.
“I think (Swenson) was just executing a little bit better today,” Wolverines coach Sean Maymi said. “He served well and just took his chances when he had them.”
After his No. 2 doubles match was abandoned while tied at four, Swenson’s singles match was even through the first four games as both players won their service games. Over the next five games, both Swenson and van Loben Sels broke each other’s serve. But Swenson gained the 5-4 advantage through a crafty volley where he barely tapped the ball over the net. Swenson then won the next game 40-15, via a hard-hit forehand to the opponent’s side to claim the first set. Swenson repeatedly broke serve and converted winners at the net by taking advantage of each of his opponent’s weaker second serves.
“Attacking the second serve as much as possible,” Swenson said of his strategy. “And looking to move forward to the net.”
Van Loben Sels came out strong in the second set, winning the first game at deuce off a second serve and picking up the second game as well. In response, Swenson dominated the next four games, winning each one handily to take his first multi-game lead of the day. This critical run stemmed from Swenson’s unwavering resolve to win, which centered around a complete focus on playing his game to the best of his ability.
“(I) went out playing to win,” Swenson said. “(I) wanted to play free and compete hard.”
After van Loben Sels stole the next game, Swenson grabbed the eighth game, 40-30, through another light volley. In the next game, van Loben Sels ripped multiple aces, resulting in the Bruins falling just one game behind Michigan. With the following game tied at 30, a slam by Swenson at the net positioned him a single point away from finishing the match. And as if to prove that he could do anything his opponent could do, but better, Swenson sealed the match with an ace of his own.
“(It’s) something to build on,” Swenson said of his victory. “(There’s) confidence knowing I can win while playing the best players in the country.”
Despite the Wolverines’ early exit from the Big Ten Tournament, Swenson’s performance serves as a strong source of confidence for him moving forward. Through complete trust in his approach and capitalizing on his opponents’ mistakes, Swenson maximizes his ability to win and continues to show that he can find success against high-level competition.
