University of Illinois
Indiana University
Illinois Hosts Indiana in Big Ten Opener on Friday Night
February 9, 2017 | Men's Tennis
The Illini will take on Indiana on Friday at 6 p.m. at Atkins and then travel to Notre Dame for a Sunday afternoon contest with the Fighting Irish
| Illinois vs. Indiana / at Notre Dame | |
|---|---|
| Date | Friday, 6 pm vs. Indiana | Sunday, 11 am at Notre Dame |
| Location | Champaign, Ill. | Atkins Tennis Center | South Bend, Ind. | Eck Tennis Pavilion |
| Live Links | Illinois Live Scoring | Notre Dame Live Scoring |
| 2017 Information | Match Notes |
First Serve: Indiana-Notre Dame Weekend
The Fighting Illini will host their 2017 Big Ten opener on Friday at 6 p.m. CT against the Indiana Hoosiers. The Illini will then hit the road for an away contest on Sunday in South Bend, Ind. to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 11 a.m. CT. The first 200 fans to Atkins on Friday night will receive Buffalo Wild Wings and an Illinois headband.
Last Time Out
Illinois split a pair of ACC contests last Friday and Saturday nights at the Atkins Tennis Center. The Illini defeated the Duke Blue Devils on Friday night in a comeback thriller, where freshman Gui Gomes clinched the match for the Orange and Blue in three sets on court three. On Saturday night, Illinois fell to the No. 7-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels, 5-2. Illinois is now 2-2 overall this season.
Illini Announce Schedule Changes
The Illini's previously scheduled match against defending NCAA Champion, Virginia, was changed from Wednesday, Feb. 15 to Tuesday, Feb. 14. First serve for the contest between the teams is slated for 4 p.m. CT. Earlier that day, Illinois will take on William & Mary at 10 a.m. CT. The William & Mary-Virginia doubleheader on Valentine's Day will take place at the Boar's Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, Va. In addition to William & Mary, Illinois will now take on in-state foe, Northern Illinois, on Friday, Feb. 24 at 12:30 CT at the Atkins Tennis Center. The Northern Illinois match will take place prior to Illinois's 6 p.m. contest against the Kentucky Wildcats on Feb. 24.
Freshmen Focus
The Fighting Illini opened the 2017 season with five freshmen in the starting lineup. Vuk Budic competed in doubles with junior Aleks Vukic. Gui Gomes, Zeke Clark, Aleks Kovacevic and Noe Khlif started on courts three through six in singles. With six freshmen, Illinois has the largest number of freshmen in the Big Ten and the only school in the conference to start five freshmen on opening day.
Illinois Finds Success at MLK Invitational
The Orange and Blue opened up the 2017 spring season at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Invitational at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex in Atlanta on Jan. 14-16. Illinois competed against players from Columbia, Georgia and Georgia Tech over the three-day weekend. Junior Aron Hiltzik and freshman Aleks Kovacevic each went undefeated in singles play, tallying four of their six wins over ranked opponents.
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