University of Illinois
Middle Tennessee
Women’s Tennis Routs Blue Raiders
February 10, 2017 | Women's Tennis
Illinois defeats Middle Tennessee, 6-1
URBANA, Ill. – Illinois Women's Tennis earned a 6-1 victory over Middle Tennessee on Friday. The Fighting Illini improve to 2-4 on the season, while the Blue Raiders fall to 3-4.
"We are playing a really tough schedule," said head coach Evan Clark. "It's good confidence for the girls, they deserve it."
The Orange and Blue started off strong and won the first point of the match. Alexis Casati and Daniela Pedraza Novak won the No. 3 doubles match, 6-1, over Costanza Magazzini and Lidia Burrows. The Illini won the doubles point when Louise Kwong and Ines Vias took the No. 1 doubles match over Josefina Zehnder and Sarah Sediri, 6-3.
Casati kept rolling in singles, winning at the No. 2 spot over Magazzini, 6-0, 6-1. In her first appearance in the lineup this spring, Grace Tapak won at No. 6 singles, 6-1, 6-1, over Holly Horsfall to give Illinois a 3-0 lead. Pedraza Novak then clinched the match for the Illini with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 over Louisa Zirilli at the No. 4 position.
Middle Tennessee got in the board with Burrows' 6-2, 7-6 (3) win at No. 3 singles over Vias, but the rest was all Illinois. Kwong defeated Zehnder, 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 at the No. 1 spot, and Jade Hilton earned a 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (4) victory at No. 5 singles over Marta Peris Herrero.
"I'm really happy for the team," Clark said. "I think we will be ready to go on Sunday against Notre Dame."
Up Next
The Illini will host Notre Dame and Eastern Illinois on Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Atkins Tennis Center. The match against the Fighting Irish is set to begin at 11 a.m., and the match against the Panthers has a 4 p.m. start.
Illinois 6, Middle Tennessee 1
SINGLES
1. Louise Kwong (ILL) def. Josefina Zehnder (MT) 6-1, 5-7, 6-1
2. Alexis Casati (ILL) def. Costanza Magazzini (MT) 6-0, 6-1
3. Lidia Burrows (MT) def. Ines Vias (ILL) 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Daniela Novak (ILL) def. Luisa Zirilli (MT) 6-1, 4-6, 6-1
5. Jade Hilton (ILL) def. Marta Peris Herrero (MT) 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-4)
6. Grace Tapak (ILL) def. Holly Horsfall (MT) 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: 2, 6, 4, 3, 1, 5
DOUBLES
1. Louise Kwong/Ines Vias (ILL) def. Josefina Zehnder/Sarah Sediri (MT) 6-3
2. Madie Baillon/Jaclyn Switkes (ILL) vs. Luisa Zirilli/Holly Horsfall (MT) 4-3, unfinished
3. Alexis Casati/Daniela Novak (ILL) def. Costanza Magazzini/Lidia Burrows (MT) 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 1
