Singles Draw

Tulsa, Okla. - Fighting Illini men's tennis sophomore Aleks Vukic's run in the NCAA Singles Championships came to an end in the Quarterfinals Saturday afternoon. The match was decided in a third set tiebreaker, with No. 4 seeded Vukic suffering the loss to No. 9-16 seeded Joao Monteiro (Virginia Tech) by the scores of 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(3).   

After dropping the first set, No. 4 Vukic broke No. 14 Monteiro at 6-5 in the second set and held serve to win the set 7-5. The Sydney, Australia native jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third set and had a chance to serve out the match at 5-4. Monteiro garnered a break to stay alive and ultimately clinched the match victory in the tiebreaker. 

"It is always tough to lose 7-6 in the third, but I won that way two matches ago. You win some, you lose some," Vukic said. "I'm trying to see the progress in my game and will look forward to working hard this summer."

Vukic's run marked the seventh time an Illini has reached the NCAA Singles Quarterfinals. A 2016 All-American and First Team All-Big Ten selection, Vukic finishes with a 25-5 record in his sophomore season. 

"It was a great effort today from Vukic. He fought down a break in the second and pulled that set out," head coach Brad Dancer said. "The heartbreaking aspect was that he had a chance to win it in the third. Credit to Monteiro, they both fought hard. It was a really great match. I'm really happy and proud for 'Vuki' for the season he has had. He's been a great leader and were excited for his progression this summer."