University of Illinois
Drake
Freshmen Shine in Illinois’ First Round Sweep of Drake
May 12, 2017 | Men's Tennis
The Illini topped the Bulldogs 4-0 on Friday morning in Stillwater, Okla.
STILLWATER, Okla. – The Fighting Illini men's tennis team swept the Drake Bulldogs, 4-0 on Friday morning in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Illinois improves to 45-20 all-time in NCAA matches and 3-0 against the Bulldogs. Three Illinois freshmen, Aleks Kovacevic, Noe Khlif and Gui Gomes led the way on the singles courts to earn the Orange and Blue a berth in the NCAA Second Round.
Illinois earned an early advantage in the match after a gritty effort on the doubles courts. After the Bulldogs took the first match on court two, freshmen Vuk Budic and Zeke Clark responded with a 6-4 win over Stride and Wood on court three. The point came down to a tiebreak on one with senior Alex Jesse and Kovacevic battling Philips and Thorold for the point. The duo took the point with a 7-2 tiebreak win.
In singles action, a trio of freshmen clinched the Illinois sweep. Kovacevic was first off the court with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Bayo Phillips 6-2, 6-4 at the No. 3 position. Noe Khlif was next off the court after defeating Calum MacGeoch on court four, 6-3, 6-4. Gomes clinched the match for the Orange and Blue after a gritty 7-6, 7-5 win on court two.
Up next, the Illini will take on the winner of Oklahoma State and UMKC in the NCAA Second Round in Stillwater, Okla. First serve is set for 3 p.m. CT at the Greenwood Tennis Center.
Head Coach Brad Dancer's Thoughts
"It was a day of the freshmen. They controlled the doubles courts with their play. They looked like they wanted to see what this NCAA thing was about. When you look at our team the next few years, this is going to be an exciting place to be. These young men wanted it today and stepped up. Every time one of the freshmen got down, they just responded by playing tougher with resiliency and grit. I'm proud of those guys and I know they will look forward to another challenge tomorrow."
Final Results
Illinois 4, Drake 0
Doubles-Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1*
- Jesse/Kovacevic (Illinois) def. Philips/Thorold (Drake) 7-6(2)
- Gillespie/Hands (Drake) def. Hiltzik/Gomes (Illinois) 6-3
- Budic/Clark (Illinois) def. Stride/Wood (Drake) 6-4
Singles-Order of Finish: 3, 4, 2*
- #41 Aron Hiltzik (Illinois) vs. #87 Vinny Gillespie (Drake) 4-6, 7-6, unf.
- Gui Gomes (Illinois) def. Ben Stride (Drake) 7-6, 7-5
- Aleks Kovacevic (Illinois) def. Bayo Phillips (Drake) 6-2, 6-4
- Noe Khlif (Illinois) def. Calum MacGeoch (Drake) 6-3, 6-4
- Zeke Clark (Illinois) vs. Tom Hands (Drake) 6-7, 6-2, 1-0, unf.
- Vuk Budic (Illinois) vs. Barnaby Thorold (Drake) 4-6, 6-4, 1-1, unf.
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