Box Score

URBANA, Ill. – The No. 7 Fighting lllini men's tennis team defeated the Purdue Boilermakers, 5-2 on Sunday afternoon at the Atkins Tennis Center. Illinois improves to 12-5 overall this season and 3-0 in Big Ten play.

Illinois earned the early advantage after clinching the doubles point for the 13^th time this season. A new doubles pairing of sophomores Zeke Clark and Noe Khlif were first off the courts with a 6-1 victory at the No. 3 position. Moving up to the No. 2 position, freshmen Alex Brown and Caleb Chakravarthi clinched the doubles point, 6-2 against Raupuk and Julio.

Clark was dominant in singles play as he was first off the singles courts with a 6-0, 6-1 win on court two against Javier Rodriguez. Fellow-sophomore Vuk Budic earned his first dual match singles win of the season at the No. 6 position, 6-0, 6-3. Senior Aron Hiltzik clinched the match for the Orange and Blue with a gritty, 6-1, 7-5 against Purdue's Raupuk.

Up next, Illinois will travel west for a pair of Big Ten opponents next weekend. The Illini take on Iowa on Saturday and then Nebraska on Sunday. First serve for both matches is set for 12 pm.

Illini Notes

• UI earned the program's 100^th victory against the Boilermakers. The Illini are now 100-11-1 all-time versus Purdue. The Boilermakers were Illinois' first dual match opponent (on record) on May 13, 1905.
• Illinois clinched the doubles point for the 13^th time this season. The Orange and Blue are 11-2 when clinching the doubles point.
• Brown and Chakravarthi played at the No. 2 doubles position for the first time this season. The freshman pairing clinched their team-leading seventh doubles point.
• Budic earned his first singles dual match win of the season.

Final Results

#7 Illinois 5, Purdue 2

Doubles-Order of Finish: 3, 2*

1. Budic/Hiltzik (Illinois) vs. #57 Madarasz/Bennett (Purdue) 4-4, unf.
2. Brown/Chakravarthi (Illinois) def. Raupuk/Julio (Purdue) 6-2
3. Clark/Khlif (Illinois) def. Rodriguez/Hanayama (Purdue) 6-1

Singles-Order of Finish: 3, 6, 2*, 1, 5, 4

1. #59 Alex Brown (Illinois) def. #79 Gergely Madarasz (Purdue) 7-5, 7-5
2. #103 Aron Hiltzik (Illinois) def. Maksymilian Raupuk (Purdue) 6-1, 7-5
3. Zeke Clark (Illinois) def. Javier Rodriguez (Purdue) 6-0, 6-1
4. Mateo Julio (Purdue) def. Noe Khlif (Illinois) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 
5. Athell Bennett (Purdue) def. Caleb Chakravarthi (Illinois) 6-2, 6-7(4), 1-0(7)
6. Vuk Budic (Illinois) def. Ali Mooraj (Purdue) 6-0, 6-3

Records: Illinois (12-5, 3-0) | Purdue (8-9, 0-2)

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