Jan. 30, 2008

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Senior Ruben Gonzales of the 2007 NCAA finalist Illinois men's tennis team earned Big Ten Player of the Week for the week ending Jan. 28, the conference office announced today. Gonzales becomes the second Illini to hoist the honor this season, earning the distinction after teaming with senior Brandon Davis to take down the nation's No. 1 tandem in doubles before cruising past the 12-ranked player in singles in the Illini's match against top-rated Virginia last Friday.

"This is a great honor for Ruben as he puts in so much work on preparing himself for every match," head coach Brad Dancer said. "These are the types of things that stem from that kind of effort and determination."

Individually, the Illini senior has opened the fall season with a bang, playing No. 1 for Illinois in their shutdown of Ball State (7-0) to kickoff the dual season. In that match, he cruised through Jose Perdomo (BSU) in straights, 7-6 (8), 6-3. Gonzales has just gotten better from there, as he has not dropped a set in dual action thus far this season, including his best effort yet when he topped 12th-ranked Treat Huey of Virginia, 6-3, 6-2. Huey was a 2007 NCAA singles participant.

In doubles, the Illini senior has been almost perfect on the young season, 4-1 overall and 2-0 in dual action. In his most recent effort, the Terre Haute, Ind., native shocked the nation's top doubles tandem to help Illinois secure the doubles point against one of the best doubles lineups in the nation in Virginia.

In that match, Gonzales and Davis (ILL) brought a Atkins Tennis Center capacity crowd to their feet when they broke top-rated Somdev Devvarman and Treat Huey (UVA) at 8-7 to seal the doubles point and their 9-7 upset. Devvarman and Huey (UVA) were NCAA semifinalists in 2007 and are one of few doubles duos that are returning from a highly competitive field a year ago - the same field that included NCAA doubles finalists Ryan Rowe and Kevin Anderson of Illinois.

The honor is Gonzales' second of his career and Illinois' second honor of the season after sophomore Billy Heiser won the year's first Big Ten laurel on Jan. 13. In fact, the Fighting Illini have claimed two out of the three conference weekly honors handed out this season.

The Illini now take to the road for the first time this season to face No. 15 Duke in Durham, N.C., on Feb. 1, before traveling to Knoxville, Tenn., to face No. 24 Tennessee on Feb. 3. Its match against the Blue Devils is set for a 5 p.m. CT, 6 p.m. local time, start, while its match against the Volunteers has first serve scheduled for 11 a.m. CT, noon local time.