Box Score | Brad Dancer Post-Match Interview | Caleb Chakravarthi Post-Match Interview 

URBANA, Ill. – The No. 6 Illinois men's tennis team defeated No. 19 Notre Dame, 4-1 on Wednesday night at the Atkins Tennis Center. Illinois moves to 9-4 overall this season as the Illini have won three-straight matches.

The Orange and Blue grabbed the doubles point for the fifth-straight match on Wednesday night. Sophomores Zeke Clark and Aleks Kovacevic were first off the court with a 6-3 win over Cabera and Lebedev on court two. For the second-consecutive match, freshmen Alex Brown and Caleb Chakravarthi clinched the Illini doubles point on court three. The duo defeated Ciamarra and Gamble, 7-5.

In singles play, Brown won his third-straight singles match, 6-4, 6-4 against Richard Cimarron on court two. Kovacevic gave Illinois a 3-0 lead with a 6-3, 7-5 win at the No. 3 position. The Fighting Irish got on the board with a victory on court five. Chakravarthi used a come-from-behind, three-set victory on court six to clinch the Illini win, 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 over William Howells.

Up next, UI travels to Evanston, Illinois, for their Big Ten opener against the Northwestern Wildcats. First serve is set for 7 pm.  

Illini Notes

• Notre Dame was the ninth ITA-ranked opponent for the Illini this season. Illinois is 6-3 against those teams this season.
• Illinois has won the last six meetings against Notre Dame and has not lost at home to the Fighting Irish since the 2002 season (10 matches).
• Brown and Chakravarthi extended their doubles winning streak to five matches and holds a team-best 11-2 overall doubles record.
• The Orange and Blue clinched the doubles point for the fifth-straight match.

Final Results

#6 Illinois 4, #19 Notre Dame 1

Doubles-Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3*

1. #55 Kempin/McCormick (Notre Dame) def. Budic/Hiltzik (Illinois) 6-2
2. Clark/Kovacevic (Illinois) def. Cabrera/Lebedev (Notre Dame) 6-3
3. Brown/Chakravarthi (Illinois) def. Ciamarra/Gamble (Notre Dame) 7-5

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

1. #100 Aron Hiltzik (Illinois) vs. #33 Alex Lebedev (Notre Dame) 3-6, 6-3, 6-6 (3-4), unf.
2. #50 Alex Brown (Illinois) def. Richard Ciamarra (Notre Dame) 6-4, 6-4 
3. Aleks Kovacevic (Illinois) def. Guillermo Cabrera (Notre Dame) 6-3, 7-5
4. Zeke Clark (Illinois) vs. Matt Gamble (Notre Dame) 6-4, 6-7(4), 2-2, unf.
5. Tristan McCormick (Notre Dame) def. Noe Khlif (Illinois) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
6. Caleb Chakravarthi (Illinois) def. Williams Howells (Notre Dame) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4

Records: Illinois (9-4) | Notre Dame (8-4)

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