Feb. 25, 2001
A three-set victory by No. 75 Graydon Oliver over No. 59 Mark Parsons at No. 1 singles wasn't enough as the Fighting Illini men's tennis team lost a close match, 4-3, Sunday afternoon at the Goodfriend Tennis Center on the University of Tennessee campus.
In its fourth match of the last five against Top-10 teams, No. 13 Illinois had its chances against the seventh-ranked Vols. Oliver and Amer Delic, ranked No. 11 nationally, defeated 59th-ranked Adam Carey and Mark Parsons, 8-5, at No. 1 doubles to put the Illini up early. But Tennessee handled the other UI doubles players with identical 8-5 scores. Peter Handoyo and Simon Rea held off Michael Calkins and Jamal Parker at No. 2 while Mario Toledo and Andy Crews topped Phil Stolt and Mike Kosta at No. 3. In that match, Kosta and Stolt twice fought off two match points before succumbing.
Down 1-0 after doubles, the Fighting Illini needed wins in at least four of the six singles matches to take home a team victory. Oliver did his part at No. 1, but freshmen (No. 39) Phil Stolt and Michael Calkins faltered in straight sets at Nos. 2 and 4. In the decisive No. 3 singles match, another UI freshman, Amer Delic, took the first set against No. 73 Adam Carey and led, 5-1, in the second set, before Carey rallied for a 7-6 (5) triumph that clinched the match.
Due to rain in the Knoxville area, the match was played indoors (on four courts). Thus, the last two singles matches were played later, they ended up going Illinois' way, but they were too little, too late for the Orange and Blue.
"This was another disappointing loss to a Top-10 team," said UI Head Coach Craig Tiley. "We were up a break in (the deciding match of) doubles, but we couldn't convert. Amer (Delic) was up in singles and he couldn't close it out."
"We had control in doubles," said Oliver, but we let it slip through our fingers. And in singles, we had some freshmen playing pretty high (in the lineup--Nos. 2, 3 and 4) that lost their matches. But as the season progresses, they won't be like freshmen any more. Our young players are just as good as the people they have been playing, so it's just a matter of time and experience for them. I'm confident that we will all have it together come tournament time."
Oliver's singles victory pushed his record to 10-4. It was the sixth win in the last seven matches for the 2000 NCAA doubles champion, who has been concentrating on his singles game this season.
"Craig (Tiley) and (Associate Head Coach) Bruce (Berque) laid out what I needed to do this year to improve my singles game," said Oliver, "and I've been able to do about 90 percent of it already. That's why it has gotten so much better."
Illinois (5-4) returns to action Saturday, March 3, when it opens the Big Ten season at Northwestern.
Today's Illinois results:
1S. No. 75 Graydon Oliver (ILL) def. No. 59 Mark Parsons (TENN) 6-4, 1-6, 7-5
2S. Mario Toledo (TENN) def. No. 39 Phil Stolt ILL) 6-4, 7-6 (6)
3S. No. 73 Adam Carey (TENN) def. Amer Delic (ILL) 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2
4S. No. 28 Peter Handoyo (TENN) def. Michael Calkins (ILL) 6-3, 6-4
5S. Mike Kosta (ILL) def. Simon Rea (TENN) 6-3, 6-2
6S. Nathan Zeder (ILL) def. Wade Orr (TENN) 6-4, 6-4
1D. No. 11 Amer Delic/Graydon Oliver (ILL) def. No. 59 Adam Carey/Mark Parsons (TENN) 8-5
2D. Peter Handoyo/Simon Rea (TENN) def. Michael Calkins/Jamal Parker 8-5
3D. Mario Toledo/Andy Crews (TENN) def. Phil Stolt/Mike Kosta 8-5
