ORLANDO, Fla. – Fighting Illini men's tennis junior Aleks Kovacevic advances to the NCAA Singles Championships after a three-set victory over 54th-ranked Sam Riffice of Florida at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. on Thursday evening.
"Obviously I am proud of Kova," said Brad Dancer. "He had very little control for most of that match. A large part of that credit goes to Sam (Riffice). He is a phenomenal player and took everything away from Kova."
Kovacevic, who is ranked No. 10 nationally in singles and came in the tournament as the No. 7 seed, bested 54th ranked Riffice, 6-7(2), 7-6, 6-3. After a slow start, the First-Team All-Big Ten honoree was able to battle back after dropping the first set, 6-7(2). Kovacevic managed to gain momentum throughout the match, winning the tiebreaker in the second set, 7-5. The New York Native took charge in the third set, winning 6-3.
"What Kova did best was hang around," noted Dancer. "He finally got some momentum on his side and was able to capitalize."
Tonight's win marked his 13th ranked victory in singles play this season. Kovacevic improves to 23-3 in singles play since the beginning of the spring season and 33-6 overall. The No. 7 seed matches the program's 6th best longest singles winning streak with 15Â matches.
He is the third Illini in program history to reach the semifinals at the NCAA Singles Championships and first since Illinois Athletics Hall of Famer, Kevin Anderson, in 2007. Illinois has won four NCAA Individual titles in program history. The lone singles championship came in 2003, when Amer Delic defeated Baylor's Benedikt Dorsch, 6-4, 6-3 to claim the title in Athens, Ga.
Tomorrow, Kovacevic will face No. 4 seed Paul Jubb of South Carolina, who he has yet to face this season. Jubb is a two-time All-SEC honoree, earning second-team in 2018 and first-team this season. The British native has a 20-2 dual-match record and was 32-4 overall. In conference play, Jubb recorded an impressive 11-1 record, losing only to No. 1 seed Nuno Borges of Mississippi State on March 11. This marked the highest SEC win percentage for a single season in South Carolina history.
"We were able see Paul (Jubb) against Zeke (Clark) in the Fall, so we know how good he is," said Dancer.
Match times and court assignments for the semifinals 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
Quarterfinals (May 23) – def. No. 54 Sam Riffice (Florida), 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 6-3
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 courtsÂ
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 – No. 7 seed Aleks Kovacevic
6:30 pm – 9 pm: (4) matches across 4 courts – No. 7 seed Aleks Kovacevic
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
