Results

URBANA, Ill. - To open the final weekend at the Atkins Tennis Center of the season, the Fighting Illini women's tennis team got the best of the visiting Nebraska Huskers in a 6-1 Big Ten victory. No. 51 Illinois climbed to 13-9 on the season and 5-5 in conference play. The Huskers fell to 12-11 overall and 0-10 in league play. The Illini now lead the all-time series 4-3.

"We competed hard; we had to earn this win," head coach Michelle Dasso stated. "The girls did a great job and we're going to be fired up for the Iowa squad tomorrow.

Melissa Kopinski and Louise Kwong made quick work of their Nebraska counterparts on the first doubles court. The Illini duo blanked the Huskers with an 8-0 win for their fourth-straight doubles win. Kopinski and Kwong are now 13-4 when working in tandem this season.

The doubles point clincher came on the third court where Madie Baillon and Grace Tapak opened up a 6-0 lead before finishing off the Huskers with an 8-3 victory. This was the first match that the duo has played together during the dual season.

Jerricka Boone and Alexis Casati were down 4-6 (40-15) on court two when the Illini clinched the doubles point.

Kopinski was the first done on the afternoon. The Palos Hills, Illinois, native won in a straight-set 6-3, 6-4 fashion. The senior has won her last six matches and improved to 14-6 on the spring and 7-3 in Big Ten play.

During the Illinois winning streak, Kopinski has clinched three of the matches, in the other three matches the senior was the first off the courts.

Next off the courts on the afternoon was Casati, who claimed the match on court one. She picked up her seventh Big Ten win in 10 decisions with a 7-5, 6-3 victory.

Baillon went three sets on court five, but ultimately clinched the Illinois win. She won the opening set 6-2 and fell by the same margin in the middle set. In the final frame, the Illini sophomore won by a 6-2 decision.

Nebraska claimed its only match of the afternoon when Boone forfeited play on the fourth court. She took the first set 7-5 and the second frame was even at 5-5 when it concluded.

Jade Hilton picked up her seventh win of her debut season by a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 decision. In the second set, Hilton was down 4-3 before claiming the next three games for the final victory margin.

After falling in the first set 3-6, Kwong fought back to take the second set by the same fashion to force a third set. Battling all the way to a tiebreaker, Kwong defeated her Nebraska counterpart by a 7-6 (7-2) decision for the final point of the match.

Kopinski, Kwong and Baillon have each won their last six decisions.

Illinois returns to the Atkins Tennis Center tomorrow, Sunday, April 19, for its regular season finale. The Fighting Illini will honor seniors Kopinski and Julia Jamieson prior to the noon match with Iowa.