University of Illinois
Marquette
Dancer Earns Win No. 275 with Illini Sweep of Marquette
May 12, 2018 | Men's Tennis
Box Score | Dancer Post Match Interview | Hiltzik Post Match Interview | Dancer Celebration
URBANA, Ill. – The Fighting Illini men's tennis team opened the 2018 NCAA Tournament with a sweep of the Marquette Golden Eagles at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex on Saturday. With the 4-0 victory, Illini head coach Brad Dancer earned his 275th win in the Orange and Blue to become Illinois's all-time winningest coach.
Illinois earned the doubles point on Saturday afternoon with wins on courts two and three. Senior Aleks Vukic and sophomore Vuk Budic made quick work of Marquette's Christian and Smrek, 6-1. Senior Aron Hiltzik and sophomore Aleks Kovacevic clinched the point, 6-3 at the No. 2 position.
Singles play saw sophomore Zeke Clark earn his 12th-straight singles win, 6-0, 6-1 over Brett Meyers. Hiltzik was next off the court with a convincing, 6-0, 6-3 victory at the No. 3 position. Freshman Caleb Chakravarthi clinched the Illini win, 6-0, 6-3 on court six.
Illinois advances to the NCAA Round of 32 and will play the Vanderbilt Commodores on Sunday at 2 pm.
Illini Notes
- Illinois head coach Brad Dancer surpassed Illini Hall of Famer, Craig Tiley, as the all-time winningest coach in program history. Dancer earned his 275th win in the Orange and Blue on Saturday afternoon.
- Illinois improves to 47-21 in NCAA Tournament play.
- Illinois is 30-4 when competing in the NCAA Tournament at home.
- Illinois is 20-3 in the NCAA First Round and has not lost in the opening match since 1998.
- Illinois made its 23rd-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
- Illinois's nine-match home winning streak sits at No. 7 in the Illinois record books and the longest since the Illini's run of 17 matches from February 5, 2014 to January 30, 2015.
- Illinois is 16-2 when winning the doubles point.
- Marquette is the seventh opponent the Illini have swept this season.
- The Illini are 17-0 when winning at the No. 5 position and 12-0 when winning at the No. 6 position.
- The last three NCAA Tournament victories for the Illini have been clinched by freshmen (2017 – Gui Gomes, Aleks Kovacevic; 2018 – Caleb Chakravarthi)
- Clark extended his winning streak to 12 matches.
- Chakravarthi clinched his sixth Illini match victory.
- Hiltzik and Kovacevic clinched their first doubles point.
Final Results
Illinois 4, Marquette 0
Doubles-Order of Finish: 3, 2*
- Brown/Chakravarthi (Illinois) vs. Verdu/Meyers (MU) 4-4, unf.
- Hiltzik/Kovacevic (Illinois) def. Anderson/Gomez (MU) 6-3
- Budic/Vukic (Illinois) def. Christian/Smrek (MU) 6-1
Singles-Order of Finish: 5, 3, 6*
- Aleks Vukic (Illinois) vs. Alvaro Verdu (MU) 6-4, 5-3, unf.
- Alex Brown (Illinois) vs. Luke Smrek (MU) 6-3, 4-3, unf.
- Aron Hiltzik (Illinois) def. Luis Heredia Gomez (MU) 6-0, 6-3
- Aleks Kovacevic (Illinois) vs. Greg Anderson (MU) 7-5, 2-0, unf.
- Zeke Clark (Illinois) def. Brett Meyers (MU) 6-0, 6-1
- Caleb Chakravarthi (Illinois) def. Brandon Shanklin (MU) 6-0, 6-3
Records: Illinois (22-7) | Marquette (17-7)
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