CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois Fighting Illini Women's Tennis team will open the 2021 season this weekend in West Lafayette, Ind. at the Purdue Invite. The Illini will be joined by the Michigan State Spartans and the Iowa Hawkeyes as well as the host Boilermakers, and matches will be played at the Schwartz Tennis Center.

The Purdue Invite will follow the hidden dual format. There will be no team score, and the Illini will play each of the other three teams in both singles and doubles matches. Live scoring will not be available for the weekend, but live cameras will be active for all matches through Purdue's playsight. Updates will be provided on Twitter @IlliniWTennis as well as on our website. A full recap will be available at the conclusion of the event.

Illinois is set to start competition on Friday at 1 p.m. CT followed by matches at 8 a.m. CT on both Saturday and Sunday.

Looking at the Illini

The Purdue Invite will be the first competition for the team in nearly eleven months following postponements due to COVID-19. Illinois returns eight athletes from last year's squad, adding one newcomer in freshman Kate Duong. Senior Asuka Kawai enters this weekend as the No. 107 ranked single's player in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).

Scouting the Competition

Purdue and Michigan State join the Illini in this event being the first action of their respective seasons. Iowa comes into the Purdue Invite having faced Texas and Arizona State last weekend in Austin, Texas at the ITA Kickoff.

Illinois is set to kick off their official conference only schedule the following weekend of February 12 pending the release of a schedule from the Big Ten.

Follow the Illini

Stay tuned into FIGHTINGILLINI.com for all the latest information on Fighting Illini Women's Tennis. Follow the Orange and Blue on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for even more coverage.