Feb. 4, 2009
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The No. 36 Illinois women's tennis team is set to host a trio of home matches this weekend at the Atkins Tennis Center. The Orange and Blue open the weekend on Friday, Feb. 6 when they host the No.75-ranked Kansas Jayhawks. The Illini close out the home slate on Sunday, Feb. 8 with a doubleheader against the University of Illinois-Chicago Flames at 10 a.m. and the Illinois State Redbirds at 3 p.m.
"The girls are thrilled to get back and play at home in front of the amazing fans at Atkins," head coach Michelle Dasso said. "We had a successful weekend out in California at the ITA kickoff event and I expect the same energy and passion from the Illini on the home courts this weekend."
A full recap of all of the Illini matches can be found at fightingillini.com at the conclusion of play. Live stats will be available for all three matches and can be found on the Illinois' women's tennis home page.
STATE OF THE ILLINI
The Illini come into the weekend ranked No. 36 in the latest ITA poll. The Orange and Blue had an impressive showing last week at the inaugural ITA kickoff weekend hosted by Stanford. The Fighting Illini won a thrilling 4-3 match over the No. 38 UNLV Rebels to advance to the second round, where they faced the No.5-ranked Stanford Cardinal. Junior Megan Fudge came away with a victory at No. 2 singles, improving her singles record to 4-0 on the season.
ILLINI IN THE RANKINGS
Sophomore Leigh Finnegan entered the first individual rankings of the season back on Jan. 6 at No. 89. Finnegan is 2-2 on the season seeing action at the No. 1 spot for the Orange and Blue.
Regional rankings (1/6) also recognized the Illini in singles with Finnegan leading the way at No. 7 in the Midwest, followed by freshman Chelcie Abajian at No. 12 and junior Megan Fudge at No. 22.
TAKING A LOOK AT THE JAYHAWKS
Kansas has already started to make up for last season's disappointing 10-13 record with a successful opening weekend sweep. The Jayhawks earned wins against UTEP, Drake, and Saint Louis University. This marks the first time since 2000 that the team has started off 3-0. Seniors Edina Horvath, who won a team-high 12 single victories in 2008, and Yuliana Svistun, who won all her matches in doubles and singles play during the first three matches, lead the Jayhawks.
Illinois all-time record against Kansas: 1-6
SCOUTING THE FLAMES
2008 was another successful season for the UIC women's tennis team as the Flames compiled a 16-6 record, won the Horizon League Conference Championship, and went to the NCAA tournament for the tenth year in a row. The Flames have begun the 2009 season 1-1 with a loss to Marquette and a win against the University of Chicago. Sophomore Ilinca Cristescu, the defending Horizon League Player of the Year, leads the team and has already begun the season undefeated in singles.
Illinois all-time record against UIC: 8-0
SCOPING OUT THE REDBIRDS
The Redbirds finished the 2008 season with a 13-10 record and placed third in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Illinois State women's tennis team began the 2009 season with a 7-0 sweep over IUPUI, and won each match in two sets. Leading the Redbirds is lone senior Tanja Hrovatic, who finished the 2008 season 22-12 in singles and 17-9 in doubles. The rest of the team consists of three juniors, one sophomore and three freshmen.
Illinois all-time record against ISU: 24-8
UP NEXT
The Illini have a break in action before hitting the road to face Harvard on Feb. 21 and Boston College on Feb. 22.
