Jan. 22, 2006

URBANA, Ill. - The No. 53 Fighting Illini enjoyed a successful weekend topped off with a 5-2 victory over No. 54 Western Michigan at the Atkins Tennis Center on Sunday. Despite losing the doubles point, the Orange and Blue netters responded in singles, taking five of six first sets en route to their second victory of the dual match season.

"I am very proud of my team," head coach Sujay Lama said. "They could have been a little bit tentative going into singles but they weren't. This (WMU) was the same team, the same line-up that beat us last year and we won 5-2. I challenged them - I told them it was about pride and protecting their home court. I asked them to fight and they did."

Senior Brianna Knue (Western Springs, Ill.) echoed Lama's thoughts.

"I was especially proud of us to come back after losing the doubles point." Knue said. "We won nearly every set of each singles match which was huge. I think everyone played really well, we showed composure and stayed poised. We pulled through and won the big points when we needed to."

The Illini found themselves down 1-0 after dropping the doubles point. Illinois got an 8-3 victory from the No. 1 tandem of Macall Harkins (Verdes Estates, Calif.) and Knue over Malena Remynse and Rattiya Hiranrat. In No. 3 doubles, Illinois' Shivani Dave (Concord, Mass.) and Alejandra Meza Cuadra (Lima, Peru) fell to Noriko Saruta and Reedhina Parekh, 8-2.

The Illini looked to be in the driver's seat at the No.2 position after going up 5-2 but Western Michigan's Carrie Jeanmaire and Kerstin Pahl never let up, forcing a tiebreaker and winning the final three games over Momei Qu (Portland, Ore.) and Emily Wang (Lawrence, Kan.), 9-8(7-3).

"We have to close it up," said Lama about the 5-2 lead at No.2 doubles. "There is no excuse. We have to learn to close it out. But you know, it's very early. This was only our second match. You want them to be very sharp but we have a lot of work to do."

Qu, playing at the No.1 spot for the first time in her dual match career, didn't disappoint, earning hard-fought points on her way to a 6-2, 7-5 defeat of Remynse.

"Momei is a tough out," Lama said. "Mentally, she is one of the toughest players I have ever coached. She has to learn, whether at the one or two spot, that she can't wait for mistakes to happen. In her second set she was reacting instead of going out there and attacking."

Harkins, the Illini's six-foot lefty, cruised to a 6-2, 6-3 win against Jeanmaire at No.2 singles.

Senior captain Knue provided Illinois' third point with her 6-2, 7-5 battle with last week's Mid-American conference player of the week Rattiya Hiranrat.

"I wanted to get off to a good start. I tried to put the pressure on her right away," Knue said. "She played well in the second set - she was a lot more aggressive. I just hung in there and weathered the storm and when it came down to it I just played aggressive and tried to take the points instead of letting her take them from me."

After winning 12 unanswered games on Friday night, Meza Cuadra was equally impressive on Sunday providing a 6-2, 6-4 match clinching win over Noriko Saruta at the No. 6 position.

Dave went the distance in her match at the No. 5 spot. The freshman lost five straight games in the second set but bounced back in the third to defeat Priyanka Parekh, 6-2, 1-6, 7-5.

The final match of the day ended in the Illini's only singles loss. Wang battled but it wasn't enough, as she dropped her match to Reedhina Parekh 6-7(1), 6-3, 7-6(5).

Up Next: The Illini take on the Tennessee Lady Volunteers in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sat. Jan. 28.

Tennis Match Results
Western Michigan vs. Illinois
January 22, 2006
Atkins Tennis Center, Urbana, Ill.

#53 Illinois 5, #54 Western Michigan 2

Doubles Competition
1. Harkins/Knue (ILL) def. Remynse/Hiranrat (WMU); 8-3
2. Jeanmarie/Pahl (WMU) def. Qu/Wang (ILL); 9-8(3)
3. Saruta/Parekh (WMU) def. Meza Cuadra/Dave (ILL); 8-2
Order of finish: 1,3,2

Singles Competition
1. Momei Qu (ILL) def. Malena Remynse (WMU); 6-2, 7-5
2. Macall Harkins (ILL) def. Carrie Jeanmaire (WMU); 6-2, 6-3
3. Brianna Knue (ILL) def. Rattiya Haranrat (WMU); 6-2, 7-5
4. Reedhina Parekh (WMU) def. Emily Wang (ILL); 6-7(1), 6-3, 7-6(5) 5. Shivani Dave (ILL) def. Priyanka Parekh (WMU); 6-2, 1-6, 7-5
6. Alejandra Meza Cuadra (ILL) def. Noriko Saruta (WMU); 6-2, 6-4
Order of finish: 2,1,3,6,5, 4