Box Score 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini men's tennis team swept the Northern Illinois Huskies, 4-0 on Friday afternoon in the first match of a doubleheader at the Atkins Tennis Center. Illinois improves to 6-3 overall this season.

The Orange and Blue earned the early advantage in the match by clinching the doubles point. The junior tandem of Aron Hiltzik and Aleks Vukic defeated Marbach and Lundkvist, 6-1 on court one. Redshirt-senior Alex Jesse and freshman Aleks Kovacevic clinched the point for the Illini with a 6-2 victory on court two.

In singles action, freshman Vuk Budic was first off the court with a 6-2, 6-0 defeat of Austin Russell on court six. Fellow-freshman Noe Khlif pushed the Illinois advantage to 3-0 after a straight-set 6-1, 6-2 win on four. Senior Julian Childers clinched an Illini win for the third time this season. The Matteson, Ill. native defeated NIU's Eric Marbach, 6-3, 6-2 at the No. 1 singles position.

Up next, the Illini are back in action at 6:00 p.m. at Atkins against the No. 21 Kentucky Wildcats.

Final Results

#19 Illinois 4, Northern Illinois 0

Doubles-Order of Finish: 1, 2*

1. Hiltzik/Vukic (Illinois) def. Marbach/Lundkvist (NIU) 6-1
2. Jesse/Kovacevic (Illinois) def. Hamel/Hjertonsson (NIU) 6-2
3. Clark/Gomes (Illinois) vs. Russell/Manzanas (NIU) 5-3, unf.

Singles-Order of Finish: 6, 4, 1

1. Julian Childers (Illinois) def. Eric Marbach (NIU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Gui Gomes (Illinois) vs. Georg Lundkvist (NIU) 2-6, 6-0, 0-1, unf.
3. Zeke Clark (Illinois) vs. Tom Hjertonsson (NIU) 4-6, 4-3, unf.
4. Noe Khlif (Illinois) def. Carlos Manzanas (NIU) 6-1, 6-2
5. Aleks Kovacevic (Illinois) vs. Louis Phillipe Hamel (NIU) 7-6, 1-0, unf.  
6. Vuk Budic (Illinois) def. Austin Russell (NIU) 6-2, 6-0

Records: Illinois (6-3) NIU (9-3)

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