University of Illinois
USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships
Illinois Storms Into National Indoor Semifinals
February 21, 2003 | Men's Tennis
Feb. 21, 2003
The red-hot University of Illinois men's tennis team remains on track to earn its first-ever team national championship in the sport, but two very tough matches stand between the Illini and that goal. The second-ranked Fighting Illini roared into tomorrow's semi-final round of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Indoor Championships with a 4-0 victory over No. 18 and 12th-seeded Texas A&M this afternoon in Louisville, Ky. It was the second day in a row that the Orange and Blue shut out its opponent with all straight-set victories.
Illinois (8-0) was dominant from the start, as second-ranked Amer Delic and Michael Calkins boosted their season record to 16-3 with their impressive 8-4 win over No. 5 Lester Cook and Ante Matijevic in the No. 1 doubles match. Brian Wilson and Rajeev Ram put the Illini on the scoreboard when their 8-3 triumph over No. 60 Matt Loucks and John Nallon clinched the doubles point.
"Texas A&M played well against us, but I thought our players did a good job of taking command quickly," said Illini Head Coach Craig Tiley. "I was pleased with how well we started out in doubles, and with our strong play in singles as well."
The Fighting Illini didn't let the Aggies up to breathe when it came time for singles. The Orange and Blue picked up three straight-set singles victories to capture the match, although two contests featured opening sets that Illinois players won in tie-breakers. Chris Martin breezed past Nallon, 6-2, 6-0, in the No. 6 match for his sixth singles win in a row. Delic, ranked No. 2 and playing in the No. 1 spot, got past Newport, 7-6 (0), 6-2, and moved to 17-4 on the season. And the 42nd-ranked Calkins finished off Khaled El Dorry in the No. 4 match by the score of 7-6 (4), 6-4. Calkins, with his sixth win in a row, moved his season mark to 16-6.
"After we won our first sets, it seemed like things got a little easier," said Delic. "Maybe they let down a little. But I thought we played hard."
The Illini won decisively for the second day in a row, despite having one of its regulars sitting on the bench during singles. Yesterday it was Wilson; today it was Stolt.
"We let Phil (Stolt) sit out in singles today, just to give his arm a rest. He'll be back in the lineup tomorrow," said Tiley. "Brian (Wilson) is struggling a little with his shoulder, but he's managing the situation well."
Illinois advances to take on third-ranked Baylor, which has been just as dominant in the tournament. The Bears won all of their sets in their 4-0 win over No. 7 Stanford this afternoon. Illinois and Baylor will clash at 3 p.m. CST tomorrow in what should be a classic matchup for a spot in Sunday's national championship match against either No. 1 UCLA or No. 6 Florida.
"We're really excited to play Baylor tomorrow," said Tiley. "We have heard a lot about how good they are. I think we're the better team, but this should be a very good test for us."
"We are definitely looking forward to tomorrow," said Wilson. "One of the big keys for us will be to win the doubles point."
This will be the fourth appearance in the National Indoor semifinals for the Fighting Illini; Tiley's squad is 4-1 all-time in quarterfinal play in this event. A trip to the finals would be Illinois fourth in six years.
The ITA National Indoors can be followed on the web at www.itatennis.com and at www.fightingillini.com.
No. 2 ILLINOIS 4, No. 18 Texas A&M 0
SINGLES: 1. No. 2 Amer Delic (ILL) def. Ryan Newport (A&M) 7-6 (0), 6-2 2. No. 20 Brian Wilson (ILL) vs. No. 71 Les DNF 3. Rajeev Ram (ILL) vs. No. 83 Ante Matijevic (A&M) DNF 4. No. 42 Michael Calkins (ILL) def. Khaled El Dorry (A&M) 7-6 (4), 6-4 5. No. 84 Tyler DeHeart vs. Matt Loucks (A&M) DNF 6. Chris Martin (ILL) def. John Nallon (A&M) 6-2, 6-0DOUBLES: 1. No. 2 Amer Delic/Michael Calkins (ILL) def. No. 5 Lester Cook/Ante Matijevic (A&M) 8-4 2. Brian Wilson/Rajeev Ram (ILL) def. No. 60 Matt Loucks/John Nallon (A&M) 8-3 3. Phil Stolt/Ryler DeHeart (ILL) vs. Ryan Newport/Khaled El Dorry (A&M) DNF
