ORLANDO, Fla. – Illinois men's tennis junior Aleks Kovacevic advances to the NCAA Singles Championships after 50th-ranked Bar Botzer of Wake Forest withdraws due to injury.
Kovacevic is coming off a 6-3, 7-5 victory over 65th ranked Ewan Moore of Tulane. This marked his 12th ranked win in singles play this season. The New York native improves to 22-3 in singles play since the beginning of the spring season and 32-6 overall. The No. 7 seed matches the program's 6th best longest singles winning streak with 15Â matches.
Kovacevic will face either No. 2 seed JJ Wolf or 54th-ranked Sam Riffice of Florida. Both Wolf and Riffice will be squaring off on court one at 3 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. ET on the Tennis Channel.
Wolf is a three-time First Team All-Big Ten honoree and was the unanimous 2019 Big Ten Player of the Year. Kovacevic has faced Wolf two-times this season. In Champaign, the New York native fought hard, but fell to Wolf in two tiebreakers, 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4). During the Big Ten Tournament Final, Kovacevic won against Wolf in a first set tiebreaker, 7-6(8), but the match went unfinished as the Ohio State Buckeyes claimed the Big Ten title.
Kovacevic has yet to face Riffice this season. A stellar freshman, Riffice was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and Second-Team All-SEC due to his perfect 10-0 SEC record.
Match times and court assignments for the quarterfinals will be announced later tonight.
Singles Main Draw
No. 10 (7th seed) Aleks Kovacevic
Round of 64 (May 20) – def. No. 94 Guanarteme Nuez (UT-Arlington), 6-3, 6-3
Round of 32 (May 21) – def. No. 65 Ewan Moore (Tulane), 6-3, 7-5
Round of 16 (May 22) – def. No. 50 Bar Botzer (Wake Forest), Walkover
The Tournament Venue
The NCAA Championships will be played at United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus in Orlando, Fla. In Lake Nona, the collegiate tennis area is home to UCF men's and women's tennis program and features 12 hard courts with seating for 1,200 fans. It will be large enough to allow two collegiate matches to be played simultaneously. The area also will feature a two-story pavilion including concessions and locker rooms.
The USTA Player Development division aims to provide the best opportunities to succeed for the next generation of American tennis champions. This new home for American tennis will host every type of tennis event from 10-and-under team tennis events to national championships for those aged 90 and older.
Championship Schedule/Format
The NCAA Individual Championships is a six-match event for men's and women's doubles and singles over six days with the men's and women's doubles and singles champions crowned during the finals matches on Saturday, May 25.Â
Monday, May 20: Singles First Round – 10 a.m. CT / 11 a.m. ET
Tuesday, May 21: Singles Second Round and Doubles First Round – 10 a.m. CT / 11 a.m. ET
Wednesday, May 22: Singles and Doubles Round of 16 – 11 a.m. CT / Noon ET
Thursday, May 23: Singles and Doubles Quarterfinals – 3 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. ET
Friday, May 24: Singles and Doubles Semifinals – 3 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. ET
Saturday, May 25: Singles and Doubles Finals – 3 p.m. CT / 4 p.m. ET
*NCAA Singles and Doubles Champions (men and women) are crowned.
How to Watch – Tennis Channel Coverage
The Tennis Channel will provide live coverage of the NCAA Tennis Individual Championships beginning on May 20. Golf Channel's coverage also will include all six matches for men's and women's singles and doubles.
See below for full broadcast schedule throughout the championships (all times Eastern Time). The Tennis Channel can also be viewed online at www.thetennischannel.com or on the Tennis Channel app.
Monday, May 20 (First Round – Singles)
4 pm – 6:30 pm: (12) matches across 12 courts
6:30 pm – 9 pm: (4) matches across 4 courts – No. 7 seed Aleks Kovacevic
9 pm – 11:30 pm: (4) matches across 4 courts
Tuesday, May 21 (Second Round - Singles and Doubles)
4 pm – 6:30 pm: (4) matches across 4 courts – Alex Brown
6:30 pm – 9 pm: (4) matches across 4 courts
Wednesday, May 22 (Round of 16 - Singles and Doubles)
4 pm – 6:30 pm: (4) matches across 4 courts
6:30 pm – 9 pm: (4) matches across 4 courts
Thursday, May 23 (Quarterfinals – Singles and Doubles)
4 pm – 6:30 pm: (4) matches across 4 courts
6:30 pm – 9 pm: (4) matches across 4 courts
Friday, May 24 (Semifinals – Singles and Doubles)
4 pm – 6:30 pm: (4) matches across 4 courts
6:30 pm – 9 pm: (4) matches across 4 courts
Saturday, May 25 (Finals)
4 pm – 8 pm: Men's Singles Final
8 pm – 11 pm: Women's Singles Final
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.Â
