The University of Wisconsin men’s tennis team looks forward to facing the University of Louisville Cardinals this Sunday at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

Coming off a win last Sunday over No. 45 Arkansas at the ITA Midwest Team Indoor Championship, the Badgers are now 6-1 on the season and ranked 34th in the country.

East Tennessee State, who is ranked No. 39, has been the only team able to bring the Badgers down this season in a close 4-3 match during last weekend’s tournament.

They are not, however, about to look past the Cardinals. With a 5-1 record, Louisville presents the Badgers with a challenge.

Last weekend, the Cardinals went up against the University of Tennessee, who are currently ranked eighth in the nation. The Cardinals proved they were not a team that could be overlooked when it took Tennessee a staggering six hours to beat No. 43 Louisville 4-3.

The Cardinals are also fronted with strong individual players. Playing No. 1 singles is Austen Childs, who is nationally ranked No. 47. The No. 2 singles player, Simon Childs, is equally dangerous and ranked at No. 65 in the nation. Together, the two are a top doubles team. Even Louisville’s No. 2 doubles team is ranked No. 44 in the country.

The Badgers’ head coach Greg Van Emburgh is fully aware of the serious threat the Cardinals are bringing to the match this weekend.

“Louisville just lost to Tennessee in a close match — they’re a great team,” Van Emburgh said. “Their doubles team in the No. 1 position is comparable to ours, ranking-wise.”

Junior Moritz Baumann and sophomore Marek Michalicka have been playing in the No. 1 doubles position for the Badgers. Currently, they are 5-0 and have high hopes to remain undefeated after this weekend.

Baumann is ranked No. 117 nationally and is 7-0 for singles. In three of those matches, he was in the No. 1 position.

Michalicka is nationally ranked at No. 36 and is 3-2 in singles play. For three of the matches, he played in the No. 1 position. They have proved throughout the season that national ranks have no effect on the outcome of their game.

“Last weekend, we played the doubles team ranked No. 14 and beat them,” Michalicka said.

The Cardinals’ capabilities come at no surprise to the Badgers. Last year, the Badgers lost to the Cardinals 2-5 in Louisville, Ky. Playing Louisville is a challenge in itself but was especially difficult last year after enduring the seven hour bus ride to get there.

The fans at Louisville also have a reputation for being a rowdy crowd, which presents a tough atmosphere for any team to play in. This year, however, the match will take place in front of the Badgers’ home crowd.

Both Baumann and Michalicka said playing at their home court would be a great advantage for the team. The Nielsen Tennis Stadium is a familiar place for the team not only to play in, but also to dominate.

Last year, the Badgers went 11-0 in home matches. This year is shaping up to be similar. The first four games of the season were all at home against UW-Green Bay, Butler, UW-Whitewater and Northern Illinois. The Badgers owned the courts in all four matches 4-3, 6-1, 7-0 and 5-2, respectively.

“We just feel comfortable at home,” Van Emburgh said. “And we’re excited for the opportunity for revenge.”