No. 14 Illinois Thrills in Close Victory over No. 11 Notre Dame

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – No. 14 Illinois men's tennis defeated the No. 11-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 4-3 on Wednesday night at Eck Tennis Pavilion. Picking up their first road win, the Illini remain undefeated going into their homestand on Friday.  

"Incredibly proud of our guys," said head coach Brad Dancer. They lost six first sets and just got gritty and dug down. "This crew has to put a stamp on what their identity is and evidently, it has some grit in it. I love this type of match in that I know we can play better, but we showed toughness."

The Illini gained the advantage early, winning the doubles point. Led by Sophomore Tandem Alex Brown and Caleb Chakravarthi, the duo impressed with a victory over No. 9 Richard Ciamarra and Tristan McCormick, 6-3. Once again, junior Aleks Kovacevic and freshman Keenan Mayo clinched the doubles point for Illinois, 6-4, to put the Illini on the board, 1-0.

In singles play, Notre Dame had a fast start, capturing victories on courts one, four, and six. Mayo hung tough, on four, but fell to Notre's Dame Tristan McCormick in a tiebreaker, 6-3, 7-6(5). The last three matches were key matchups, leading the Orange and Blue to victory. After dropping his opening set, junior No. 30 Zeke Clark defeated Axel Nefve, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. In similar fashion, Chakravarthi won on court five, upsetting No. 60 William Howells, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

With the match tied, 3-3, it all came down to former Big Ten Tennis Player of the Week, No. 24 Kovacevic. On court two, Kovacevic dropped the first set, but came back strong to win the three-setter, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 over No. 74 Richard Ciamarra. Kovacevic's win clinched the victory for the Illini.

"Marcos (Asse) as always did a great job with Kova down the stretch, but this one is really about the guys that fought back for the win," noted Dancer.

The No. 15 Fighting Illini return to Atkins Tennis Center to host a pair of competitive non-conference opponents. On Friday, Illinois will host SEC opponent, Kentucky Wildcats. The following night, the Illini will welcome No. 6 North Carolina for a top-15 matchup.

"A huge thank you to the greatest and nuttiest student section in the country," said Dancer. "The Net Nuts are THE BEST!" 

Illinois Notes

• Beginning in 2014, the Illini continue their winning streak against the Fighting Irish, 7-0.
• The Illini's win over the No. 11 Irish marks their first win over a ranked-opponent.
• Head coach Brad Dancer's record over Notre Dame extends to 12-4, while the Illini's overall record is 29-24.
• For the second-time this season, junior Aleks Kovacevic and freshman Keenan Mayo clinched the doubles point for Illinois.
• Sophomore Caleb Chakravarthi upset No. 60 William Howells, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. This marks Chakravarthi's second singles win of the season.
• No. 24 Kovacevic clinched the victory for the Orange and Blue with a win over No. 74 Richard Ciamarra, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4.

Follow the Illini

Stay tuned to FIGHTINGILLINI.com for all the latest information on Fighting Illini Men's Tennis. Follow the Orange and Blue on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for complete coverage.