Feb. 16, 2001

The Illinois women's tennis team fought off a slow start in doubles but came back to sweep those three matches on the way to a 6-1 victory over No. 59 Western Michigan at the Atkins Tennis Center Friday evening. Additionally, a pair of Illini players extended their unbeaten streaks in singles play to aid in the rout.

Freshman Jennifer McGaffigan won her 20th singles match of the season, defeating Larissa Chinwah, 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1, and classmate Tiffany Eklov won a 6-4, 6-4 decision over Nikki Douglass at No. 4 to move her season singles record to 5-0. Meanwhile, sophomore Michelle Webb kept her season singles mark perfect by winning 6-0, 6-2, against Meaghan Colville at No. 5. Webb's victory, which advanced her record to 6-0, also happened to be the match-clinching win for the 27th-ranked Fighting Illini. Illinois won five of the six singles matches to put away the victory, all five of those wins came in straight sets.

"We didn't play our best tonight," said Head Coach Sujay Lama, "but give Western Michigan credit. They're a feisty team. Nevertheless, it's good to get a solid win even when we're not playing our best.

"In doubles, again, we didn't play our best, but we closed out some close matches that we might not have been able to close earlier this season.

"Maybe we weren't as mentally prepared as we should have been," Lama continued. "We will definitely have to play better and be mentally focused tomorrow to win."

Illinois hosts 22nd-ranked North Carolina Saturday at noon at Atkins.

Tonight's Illinois results:

SINGLES
1. Jennifer McGaffigan (ILL) def. Larissa Chinwah (WMU)	        6-2, 6-2
2. Frederika Girsang (WMU) def. Eldina Fazlic (ILL)	   4-6, 6-4, 6-4
3. Simone Kung (ILL) def. Melanie Remynse (WMU)	                6-3, 6-0
4. Tiffany Eklov (ILL) def. Nikki Douglass (WMU)	        6-4, 6-4
5. Michelle Webb (ILL) def. Meaghan Colville (WMU)	       6-0, 6-2*
6. Eva Choe (ILL) def. Marianna Quintanilla (WMU)	        7-5, 6-3

DOUBLES 1. Jennifer McGaffigan/Michelle Webb (ILL) def. Larissa Chinwah/Meaghan Colville (WMU) 9-8 (4) 2. Carla Rosenberg/Simone Kung (ILL) def. Melanie Remynse/Nikki Douglass (WMU) 8-3 3. Tiffany Eklov/Eldina Fazlic (ILL) def. Frederika Girsang/Marianna Quintanilla (WMU) 9-7

* match-clinching victory