WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The No. 13 Fighting Illini men's tennis team swept the Purdue Boilermakers, 4-0, on Sunday afternoon at the Schwartz Tennis Center in West Lafayette, Ind. Illinois improves to 9-6 overall this season and 3-0 in Big Ten play.
"Great to get another conference road win," said head coach Brad Dancer.
Illinois earned the early advantage after clinching the doubles point for the seventh time this season. Junior duo Noe Khlif and Zeke Clark easily defeated Purdue's Stephan Koenigsfest and Athell Bennett, 6-1. This marks the first time Khlif has played doubles during dual match season this year. In their second outing as a doubles pair, sophomore Alex Brown and junior Aleks Kovacevic clinched the doubles point for the Illini with a 6-1 victory over Mateo Julio and Dominik Sochureck. This marks the first win for this pair during doubles play.
Marking his return to singles play, redshirt sophomore Gui Gomes was the first one off the court defeating Franz Luna in the no. 5 spot, 6-2, 6-0. Clark continued the momentum, winning straight sets against Stephan Koenigsfest, 6-2, 6-3. Freshman Keenan Mayo clinched his second singles match of the season, defeating Maksymilian Raupuk, 6-1, 6-4.
"We have been on the road awhile," noted Dancer. "Cannot wait to get back to our fans next weekend."
The No. 13 Fighting Illini men's tennis team returns home to continue Big Ten play for a two-match homestand beginning at Noon CT for both days with the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday, March 30 and the Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday, March 31. The Illini have a perfect 7-0 record against the Cornhuskers, while they have a 24-game winning streak against the Hawkeyes including a perfect 15-0 record under Dancer.
Illini Notes
- UI earned the program's 101st victory against the Boilermakers. The Illini are now 101-11-1 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 seventh time this season. The Orange and Blue are 7-0 when clinching the doubles point.
- Redshirt sophomore Gui Gomes earned his first singles dual match win of the season.
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