Results (PDF)
URBANA, Ill. – For the second-consecutive season, the No. 50 Illinois women's tennis team has strung together a seven-match winning streak, thanks to a 5-2 win over unranked Purdue on Sunday, April 10, from the Atkins Tennis Center. After continuing their dominance on the doubles courts, the Orange and Blue tallied wins in all three odd-numbered singles contests as well as at No. 6. The Fighting Illini improved to 12-6 overall and 6-1 in Big Ten action with the victory while Purdue fell to 9-11 with the loss and is now 2-5 against conference opponents.
"I was really proud with the way our doubles teams came together," opened Illinois head coach Evan Clark. "I loved how Jaclyn stepped in and got the win at No. 3 with Dani."
For the seventh-straight match and 16th time of the season, the Illini doubles teams took care of business and secured the opening tally. All together, the Orange and Blue doubles tandems have compiled a 35-9 reading in dual action this season.
Daniela Pedraza Novak and Jaclyn Switkes picked up a 6-2 win over Purdue's Claudia Escribens and Natalia Davila. Today's match was the first time that the Illini duo has worked together in dual play after going 1-1 during fall tournament play.
The doubles point would ultimately be decided on the top court, where No. 43 Louise Kwong and Ines Vias won their seventh-consecutive match. Kwong and Vias are now 7-0 in Big Ten play and 21-6 on the year when teaming up.
Madie Baillon and Jerricka Boone were knotted at 4-4 with their Purdue counterparts at No. 2 doubles when Illinois clinched the doubles tally.
After seeing a deficit as big as 1-3 in the opening set, Baillon fought back and registered five of the next six games to claim the set 6-4. The junior put up an identical score in the second set to take the decision and give the Orange and Blue a 2-0 lead over the Boilermakers.
Just moments later, Purdue got onto the scoreboard with a win at No. 2. The Boilermakers' Kapitany go the best of Vias in a 6-4, 6-1 line.
With the match in favor of the Illini at 2-1, the next tally came at No. 4, with Purdue momentarily tying the match at 2-2.  Natalia Davila took down Boone at No. 4. After losing the opening set, Boone rallied back to grab a 6-2 second set win. The deciding set favored the Boilermakers 6-1.
The next tally of the afternoon came on the top court where Kwong rallied to take the match in three sets. After losing the opening frame 2-6, Kwong battled back to take the second set in a demanding 6-1 fashion. The Illini junior went on to claim set three 6-4 for her fifth-straight win.
With matches at No. 5 and No. 6 still being played, eyes were split between the two end courts. Switkes was able to clinch her match first to give the Illini their fourth point of the day. The Illinois freshman won her opening set 6-0 but fell 4-6 in the next set. Switkes improved to 6-0 in Big Ten play thanks to her 6-3 third-set victory at No 5.
"Jaclyn has stepped in and meant a lot to us, obviously, being 6-0 in the Big Ten. She's a really tough player to play against. I feel really good about her against just about anybody down at Nos. 5 and 6."
Hilton led Purdue's Escribens 7-6(3), 5-4 when Switkes clinched the Illinois victory at the opposite end of the building. Hilton's counterpart, Escribens, retired to give the Illini sophomore her second Big Ten win of the season.
"I thought our girls did a great job of stepping into their roles at different spots and really toughing out some matches," Clark said of the Illini singles play.
Next on the slate for the Fighting Illini is a trip east to visit No. 3 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The match is scheduled for Friday, April 15, at 3 p.m. CT. Two days later, Illinois will take on Penn State at 10 a.m. CT, from University Park.
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NO. 50 ILLINOIS 5, PURDUE 2
Singles
1: Louise Kwong def. Nicole Robinson (PUR) – 2-6, 6-1, 6-4
2: Krisztina Kapitany (PUR) def. Ines Vias – 6-4, 6-1
3: Madie Baillon def. Andejela Djokovic (PUR) – 6-4, 6-4
4: Natalia Davila (PUR) def. Jerricka Boone – 6-1, 2-6, 6-1
5: Jaclyn Switkes def. Marta Ruedas-Burgos (PUR) – 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
6: Jade Hilton def. Claudia Escribens (PUR) – 7-6(3), 5-4, retired
Doubles
1: No. 43 Louise Kwong/Ines Vias def. No. 60 Robinson/Djokovic (PUR) – 6-4
2: Jerricka Boone/Madie Baillon vs. Kapitany/Ruedas-Burgos (PUR) – 4-4, unfinished
3: Jaclyn Switkes/Daniela Pedraza Novak def. Escribens/Davila (PUR) – 6-2
Order of Finish: 3, 1 & 3, 2, 4, 1, 5, 6
