Feb. 8, 2001
The eighth-ranked Illini will take on two tough opponents this weekend at Atkins Tennis Center. On Friday, Illinois hosts No. 41 Kentucky at 5:30 p.m., then faces No. 5 Duke at 1 p.m. Sunday.
"These are two very tough teams that we're playing this weekend," said Head Coach Craig Tiley. "We've split our last two meetings with both Kentucky and Duke, and both of these teams have a great deal of experience. We're a young team right now, but these matches will help us grow up fast. That's the reason we play these kinds of matches."
To date, Kentucky is a solid 4-0. Wildcat Edo Bowano is tied for No. 99 in the country, while Bowano and Reven Stephens are ranked 42nd in doubles.
Duke has several highly ranked players, with three in the top 25. Marko Cerenko is rated No. 2, Ramsey Smith is No. 11, and Andres Pedroso is No. 21. The Blue Devils also boast two doubles teams in the top 25 nationally. Smith and Michael Yani pair to take the No. 23 spot, while Pedroso and Ted Rueger hold a tie for 25th. Duke opened its dual-match season yesterday with a 6-0 victory against No. 68 William and Mary.
Illinois can hold its own in the ranking department. Three Orange and Blue doubles teams rate in the top 15: juniors Nathan Zeder and Mike Kosta rank 7th, while senior Graydon Oliver and freshman Amer Delic rate 9th. The freshman tandem of Philip Stolt and Brian Wilson complete the trio of teams with a No. 11 rank. In singles, Stolt holds the No. 35 spot, while Oliver ranks 65th.
"We're thankful to be nearly completely healthy now as a team," said Tiley. "Now we just have to go out and execute, we need to take advantage of the preparations that we have made in practice."
Last year the Illini were victorious with a 4-3 score over Kentucky, but dropped a close 4-3 decision to Duke.
* Results of these matches can be followed on www.fightingillini.com, the official website of University of Illinois athletics.
* Friday marks the inaugural appearance of the nation's premiere college tennis student support group, the "Net Nuts"
