April 10, 2011

Box Score

URBANA, Ill. - After winning the doubles battle, the 15th-ranked Illini men's tennis team (12-8, 4-2 Big Ten) needed all three singles wins to defeat Northwestern (11-9, 2-4), 4-3, Sunday afternoon at Atkins Tennis Center. Junior Roy Kalmanovich rallied back in No. 2 singles to clinch the win for the Illini with his 12th victory of the season.

"We've got to do a lot better," head coach Brad Dancer said. "Clearly the coaches have to do better and reach each individual player a little bit more. Our guys have to play smarter and tougher and the coaches have to figure out what's not happening to make it work better than today's match."

Illinois swept doubles for just the second time this season, as senior Abe Souza and sophomore Stephen Hoh improved to 5-0 in Big Ten matches, while the tandems of senior Johnny Hamui and redshirt freshman Brian Alden and Kalmanovich and junior Dennis Nevolo each claimed their fourth win overall.

In singles, wins by No. 9 Nevolo over No. 119 Joshua Graves, 6-4, 7-6 (6), and No. 61 Souza over Chris Jackman, 6-4, 7-6 (2) extended the Illinois lead to 3-1. The Wildcats pulled within one with a win at the No. 6 spot, before Kalmanovich sealed the victory with a come-from-behind defeat of Spencer Wolf, 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.

The Illini will face No. 23 Michigan (April 16) and Michigan State (April 17) next weekend for their final road matches of the regular season. Both matches are slated to begin at 11 a.m. CT.

Match Results
#15 Illinois 4, Northwestern 3

Singles competition
1. #9 Dennis Nevolo (ILL) def. #119 Joshua Graves (NU) 6-4, 7-6 (8-6)
2. Roy Kalmanovich (ILL) def. Spencer Wolf (NU) 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
3. Raleigh Smith (NU) def. KU Singh (ILL) 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Tobias Reitz (NU) def. #95 Johnny Hamui (ILL) 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)
5. #61 Abe Souza (ILL) def. Chris Jackman (NU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-2)
6. Eric Spector (NU) def. Stephen Hoh (ILL) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. Stephen Hoh/Abe Souza (ILL) def. Joshua Graves/Spencer Wolf (NU) 8-4
2. Johnny Hamui/Brian Alden (ILL) def. Andrew McCarthy/Tobias Reitz (NU) 8-6
3. Roy Kalmanovich/Dennis Nevolo (ILL) def. Raleigh Smith/Chris Jackman (NU) 8-7 (7-5)

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,1,5,6,2,4)