A timely return aids a timely upset

For nearly three weeks, Sebastian Gallego watched from the sideline as his team jostled for playoff positioning during the stretch run of the season — not because he wanted to, but because he had to.

Gallego was suffering the effects of a stress reaction in the lower part of his foot, an injury he sustained in the week leading up to the Feb. 25 match against Drake.

After playing with the injury for more than a month, the two-time team MVP decided to rest the injury as the pain continued to get worse.

“It was tough but I thought it was better for me, for the team,” Gallego said. “I tried to compete with the pain for several weeks and it didn’t work out well and then the pain got worse.”

Gallego said there were no treatment options for the injury other than rest and medication.

He missed matches against Big Ten foes Indiana, Purdue, Penn State and Ohio State. The Gophers went 2-2 over that stretch.

His return last weekend turned out to be quite timely.

Heading in to the April 22 match against No. 18 Illinois, the Gophers were tied for third in the conference with the Illini. In a match that carried serious postseason implications, Gallego returned and made his presence felt.

Gallego and regular doubles partner Philip Ardnt posted a victory in the No. 1 doubles match, helping Minnesota to claim what turned out to be the crucial doubles point as the Gophers upset Illinois 4-3 for sole possession of third place.

Although Gallego lost his singles match 6-2, 6-1, teammate Tobias Wernet said Gallego’s intangibles helped the team.

 “He understood his role to support us and he did a great job,” Wernet said.

Added Gallego: “I wasn’t hoping to win [on Friday] but I was hoping to at least help the team and play and compete again. Going forward I think that with more practice I will be able to help more.”

While losing a top player is never a good thing, there was a silver lining to Gallego’s absence.

Head coach Geoff Young said he was forced to switch his doubles pairings to accommodate the loss of his top doubles player. The new No. 1 pair — Rok Bonin and Julian Dehn — are undefeated since Gallego went down.

Players had to play higher than normal in the singles lineup as well, gaining experience that could prove valuable as the season wears on.

“Guys have really stepped up all over the lineup,” Gallego said. “The key to our success this year is that the lower lineup is playing great and has been able to achieve good results.”

With the Big Ten tournament looming this weekend, Gallego said his foot is somewhere between 60 and 70 percent, and hopes that it could be at 70 by the end of the week.

“Good timing,” Young said when asked about Gallego’s return. “We needed him for the Illinois match as well. I just hope that he still feels good enough [this weekend] to go … He’s one of the best players the last four years on this team, in both singles and doubles.”