Calkins Wins Big Ten Singles Championship In All-Illinois Final
November 12, 2001 | Men's Tennis
Nov. 12, 2001
The Fighting Illini fought off a challenge by rival Minnesota and once again showed their dominance of the conference by winning the Big Ten Singles Championship this afternoon in East Lansing, Mich. Even more impressive was the fact that, even though Illinois' two highest ranked players did not enter this competition, the squad was represented by both this tournament's champion and runner-up.
The all-Illini championship match was assured this morning when senior Jamal Parker defeated the Golden Gophers' Thomas Haug, the top-seeded player in the tournament and the highest-ranked player in the Midwest Region last season, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, and sophomore Michael Calkins defeated Avery Ticer, also from Minnesota, 6-7 (8-6), 6-2, 6-2.
In the final, Calkins emerged the victor by a 6-4, 6-4 count.
"Both of our guys played their best matches today," said Associate Head Coach Bruce Berque. "Thomas Haug (ranked No. 51) is one of the top players in the region, and for Jamal to beat him this morning was a very good accomplishment, especially in light of the fact that he hadn't played many singles matches this fall. Michael played some good, strong tennis this weekend, and he beat one of the hottest players in the tournament, Avery Ticer, to make the final.
"It's obviously great to have two Illinois players in the championship match," Berque continued. It was nice to sit back and not have to coach them. As it turned out, they both played well in the final. Jamal made a couple of mistakes, and Michael was able to capitalize."
"It was kind of an Illinois-Minnesota showdown in the semis," said Calkins. "I got off to a slow start in my semifinal match, and so did Jamal, but we both picked up in the second sets and fed off each other. Then we really put it together in the third sets."
Though Calkins and Parker played together last year as doubles partners, surprisingly, they have not played one-on-one against each other very much in practice. "It just has seemed to work out that way," said Calkins.
"Michael played an excellent match (in the final)," said Parker, who only competed in three singles matches all fall until this tournament. "It's tough playing your own teammate, but it was great having two Illinois guys in the final. I'm not disappointed at all."
Parker was a late add to the Illini lineup for the tournament. Sophomore Brian Wilson was originally scheduled to compete, but survived longer at an individual Challenger event in Texas earlier in the week than even he and the coaching staff thought, so Parker took his place in East Lansing.
"I just found out the day before that I'd be going," said Parker. "It was in the back of my mind all weekend to prove that I belonged there, and I think I did that. It was a great way to end the fall season, even if Bruce did coach Michael with few hand signals," he joked.
The tournament ends Illinois' fall season, although most, if not all of the team members will participate at least in the qualifier for the USTA Challenger event which will be hosted at the Atkins Tennis Center Nov. 24-Dec. 1. The next UI team competition will be a USTA Futures event in Aventura, Fla., Jan. 4-13.
