URBANA, Ill. – Illinois women's tennis earned a 4-0 sweep of Michigan State from Atkins Tennis Center Friday afternoon to secure its third-straight victory and a 4-0 start to Big Ten play for the 2023 campaign. The Fighting Illini's start to league play is the best since a 6-0 start during the spring 2000 season.
With the victory, the Orange and Blue are now 12-5 overall. Michigan State moves to 8-9 (1-5 B1G) with the loss.
Illinois secured its 10th doubles point of the season against Michigan State.
Michigan State picked up a 6-4 win at No. 3 doubles as the Spartan duo led Kida Ferrari and Violeta Martinez the whole way. No. 28-ranked Kate Duong and Megan Heuser won a back-and-forth battle, 7-5, at No. 1 for their 11th-straight victory. All eyes turned to No. 2 doubles where Josie Frazier and Emily Casati came back from down 3-5 to win 7-6 (1) and clinch the doubles point for Illinois.
Duong and Heuser are up to a 20-3 overall record, 12-1 mark in dual play and 3-0 reading in B1G contests. Frazier and Casati own a 5-5 record together on the season – all in dual matches – and 2-0 mark in Big Ten play.
The Illini would open singles play with first-set wins on four of the six courts. No. 121 Ashley Yeah and Kasia Treiber would both earn 6-0 wins in their opening sets.
Kasia Treiber was the first off the courts after a 6-0, 6-3 victory at No. 5. Her Michigan State counterpart was within 3-2 in the second set before Treiber won three of the final four games for a 2-0 Illinois lead. Treiber climbed to 13-10 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play with the win.
A game later, Yeah pushed the Illini lead to 3-0 with her win at No. 2. The senior earned a 6-0, 6-4 victory to improve to 13-9 on the season.
Heuser clinched the victory moments later for Illinois at No. 3 with a 6-2, 6-3 win. The sophomore is now 12-8 on the season including a 2-0 mark in Big Ten play.
At No. 1, Duong won her opening set 7-6 (3) and was tied 1-1 when play finished. Frazier dropped her first frame 6-3 but was tied 2-2 at No. 4 when play concluded. Ferrari fell 6-2 in her opening set but was up 3-2 when Illinois clinched the match.
Illinois remains home to host No. 5 Michigan from the Atkins Tennis Center on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT. The match will be the Illini's Pack Atkins event and will feature free tennis balls, popper toys, and a kid's clinic following the match. Tennis-themed patches will also be available for scouts. Â
Michigan marks the seventh match against a ranked team this season, with the Illini sitting at 3-3 in those outings.
RESULTS:Â NO. 34 ILLINOIS 4, MICHIGAN STATE 0
Doubles:
No. 1 – No. 28 Kate Duong/Megan Heuser def. Vehvilainen/Can (MSU) – 7-5
No. 2 – Josie Frazier/Emily Casati def. Lambert/Zorubecka (MSU) – 7-6 (1)
No. 3 – Purser/Conard (MSU) def. Kida Ferrari/Violeta Martinez – 6-4
Singles:
No. 1 – Kate Duong vs. Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU) – 7-6 (3), 1-1 unfinishedÂ
No. 2 – No. 121 Ashley Yeah def. Ayshe Can (MSU) – 6-0, 6-4
No. 3 – Megan Heuser def. Maryley Lambert (MSU) – 6-2, 6-3
No. 4 – Josie Frazier vs. Issey Purser (MSU) – 3-6, 2-2 unfinished
No. 5 – Kasia Treiber def. Nicole Conard (MSU) – 6-0, 6-3
No. 6 – Kida Ferrari vs.  Juliette Nask (MSU) – 2-6, 3-2 unfinished
Order of Finish:
Doubles: 3, 1, 2
Singles: 5, 2, 3
Length: 2:12
Attendance: 125
