Box Score

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Illinois Fighting Illini women's tennis team defeated the Minnesota Gophers on Sunday by a score of 4-3. Featuring four singles match wins, the theme of the day was comebacks as two key matches were won after dropping the first set. Illinois moves to 6-7 (B1G 6-7) on the season with the win, and Minnesota falls to 3-10 (B1G 1-10).

The Gophers took the doubles point to begin the afternoon, winning on courts one and two. Sophomore Ashley Yeah and freshman Kate Duong played well on court three, earning the 6-4 win, but it was not enough.

Moving to singles, senior Emilee Duong took charge and dominated on court three (6-1, 6-2) to put the Illini on the right track for the rest of the match. Yeah followed suit, winning her matchup on court four (6-4, 6-1). After K. Duong fell on court two, senior Asuka Kawai came all the way back to win court one (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) to give Illinois the 3-2 lead.

Sophomore Josie Frazier then lost for the first time in her last nine singles matches, but senior Sasha Belaya stepped up and clinched the victory for the Orange and Blue. Her strong performance earned her a win on court five (3-6, 6-4, 6-3) to secure it for Illinois.

Next Up

Illinois will have a weekend off, along with the rest of the Big Ten, before returning to the Atkins Tennis Center on April 9 to host the Michigan State Spartans. First serve will be at noon, and an announcement regarding the matches being played indoor or outdoor will be released closer to the date.

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