PREVIEW
The Fighting Illini continue their homestand with a pair of matches Saturday, first against Chicago State and wrapping up the day with a match with Notre Dame. The first match will begin an hour after the conclusion of Chicago State's match against Northern Kentucky, which begins at 9 a.m. The evening match is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
The nightcap features a Valentine's promotion and fans can enjoy Chick-Fil-A before the match.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITIONÂ
Chicago State (0-7): The Cougars are winless on the season, having dropped their first seven dual matches of 2020… CSU enters Atkins Tennis Center looking for its first win of the season, first against Northern Kentucky and then against the Illini... Senior Cody Wurzelbacher is the lone upperclassman on Chicago State's roster… Five of the six players on the Cougar roster are underclassmen, including four sophomores... Chicago State has been swept in three of its seven matches
Notre Dame (3-3): The Fighting Irish have split their first six matches of 2020, with two of those losses coming away from South Bend… Notre Dame has earned a pair of sweeps on the season, including its most recent match, at Boston College on Febuary 7... Junior Richard Ciamarra is the only ranked Irish singles player at No. 5 nationally in the latest ITA rankings… Ciamarra and Tristan McCormick form the No. 32 doubles team in the nation... Saturday's match will be the fifth straight away from home for the Fighting Irish... Ryan Sachire is in his eighth season at the helm of the Notre Dame men's tennis program, having taken the Fighting Irish to the NCAA Tournament each year
IN THE RANKINGS
The Illini received votes in both the most recent Oracle/ITA and Tennis Channel USTA rankings, released on February 5 and February 12, respectively.
Individually, four Illini are featured in the ITA singles rankings, including junior Alex Brown (18), senior Aleks Kovacevic (78), senior Zeke Clark (91), and sophomore Siphosothando Montsi, who reached a career-high No. 42. As a doubles pair, Brown and Kovacevic are ranked No. 43 nationally.
PARKINGÂ
The grass lots at Atkins Tennis Center will be closed Saturday. Fans can still park at Bielfeldt Athletic Administration Building or Ubben Basketball Complex as well as lot F23.
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