Illini Defeat Saint Louis, Fall to Texas Tech

Illinois narrowly defeated by No. 7 Texas Tech, 4-2, before defeating Saint Louis, 4-1

Women's Tennis March 17, 2017

Illini Defeat Saint Louis, Fall to Texas Tech

Illinois narrowly defeated by No. 7 Texas Tech, 4-2, before defeating Saint Louis, 4-1

URBANA, Ill. – The Illinois women's tennis team split its doubleheader on Friday, losing a close match to No. 7 Texas Tech, 4-2, before defeating Saint Louis, x-x. The Fighting Illini move to 5-9 on the season, while Texas Tech improves to 13-3 and Saint Louis falls to 9-7.

"The fight was fantastic, I'm real proud of the team," said head coach Evan Clark. "The girls are pretty upset with the result. Unbelievable fight, incredible energy, couldn't be happier for the way the girls competed. I'm really, really proud of them."

Illinois started off strong against Texas Tech, winning the doubles point. Louise Kwong and Ines Vias defeated the 48th-ranked Texas Tech pair of Gabriela Talaba and Felicity Maltby at the No. 2 doubles spot, 6-4. Alexis Casati and Daniela Pedraza Novak clinched the point for the Illini with a 6-4 victory over Alex Valenstein and Alba Cortina-Pou in the No. 3 doubles match. Sarah Dvorak and Sabrina Federici of Texas Tech, the 24th-ranked duo in the nation, won the match at the No. 1 position over Jaclyn Switkes and Madie Baillon, 6-1.

In singles, Federici struck first for Texas Tech, defeating Pedraza Novak at No. 5 singles, 6-2, 6-2. Casati gave the lead back to Illinois with a 7-5, 6-3 win over 40th-ranked Maltby at the No. 2 spot. Talaba, the 17th-ranked singles player in the nation, tied the score at 2-2 with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Kwong at No. 1 singles. Dvorak won at the No. 4 spot over Switkes, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4, and Katelyn Jackson defeated Grace Tapak at the No. 6 position, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, as Texas Tech narrowly pulled out the match, 4-2.

In the second match of the day, the Illini won the first doubles match, but lost the point. Casati and Pedraza Novak defeated Aspen Cervin and Ariana Rodriguez in the No. 2 doubles match, 6-2. Ally McKenzie and Cassie McKenzie won at the No. 3 spot for Saint Louis, earning the win over Jerricka Boone and Jade Hilton, 6-3. Eleonore Tchakarova and Verginie Tchakarova would clinch the doubles point for Saint Louis, with a 7-5 win over Kwong and Vias at No. 1 doubles.

In singles play, it would be all Illinois. Kwong defeated Cervin at the No. 1 position, 6-3, 6-1, to even the score at 1-1. Casati won at No. 2 singles over Eleonore Tchakarova, 6-4, 6-0, followed quickly by Pedraza Novak's 6-3, 6-4, victory at the No. 5 spot over Cassie McKenzie. Clinching the match for the Illini was Switkes, who earned a 6-0, 6-3 win over Ally McKenzie at No. 4 singles.

"I'm pleased with their effort," Clark said. "It's not easy bouncing back after a loss to Texas Tech, as hard as it was and as long as it was. I'm real proud of their effort and how they competed. We are only going to take positives away from today."

UP NEXT

Next weekend the Illini will host three matches, against Big Ten opponents Rutgers and Maryland, and then Southern Illinois. The match against Rutgers is scheduled for Saturday, March 25, at 11 a.m. CT, and Illinois will play a doubleheader on Sunday, March 26, facing Maryland at 11 a.m., then Southern Illinois at 4 p.m.

No. 7 Texas Tech 4, Illinois 2

DOUBLES

1. #24 Sarah Dvorak/Sabrina Federici (TTU) def. Jaclyn Switkes/Madie Baillon (ILL) 6-1

2. Louise Kwong/Ines Vias (ILL) def. #48 Gabriela Talaba/Felicity Maltby (TTU) 6-4

3. Alexis Casati/Daniela Pedraza Novak (ILL) def. Alex Valenstein/Alba Cortina-Pou (TTU) 6-4

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3

SINGLES

1. #17 Gabriela Talaba (TTU) def. Louise Kwong (ILL) 7-5, 6-3

2. Alexis Casati (ILL) def. #40 Felicity Maltby (TTU) 7-5, 6-3

3. Madie Baillon (ILL) vs. #109 Alex Valenstein (TTU) 5-7, 7-5, 3-1, unfinished

4. Sarah Dvorak (TTU) def. Jaclyn Switkes (ILL) 1-6, 6-2, 6-4

5. Sabrina Federici (TTU) def. Daniela Pedraza Novak (ILL) 6-2, 6-2