URBANA, Ill. – No. 34 Illinois won the doubles point and tied the dual at 2-2 but No. 5 Michigan would claim the 4-2 win from Atkins Tennis Center on Sunday. The Pack Atkins event marked the first time the Orange and Blue have played outside at home this spring.
Illinois and Michigan were two of the three unbeaten teams remaining in conference play entering Sunday's match. With the loss, the Orange and Blue are now 12-6 (4-1 B1G) overall. Michigan moves to 15-3 (7-0 B1G) with the decision.
Michigan's No. 76-ranked duo Fliegner/Jones won the first doubles match to finish at No. 2 – a 6-1 decision over Josie Frazier and Emily Casati. From there, No. 28 Kate Duong and Megan Heuser won four-straight games to secure an upset of No. 2 Brown/Miller. All eyes turned to No. 3 doubles, featuring Violeta Martinez and Kida Ferrari for the Illini. The UI duo battled back from being down 5-2 to secure a 7-6 (9) win and clinch the doubles point for Illinois. In the tiebreaker, Ferrari and Martinez trailed 9-8 before winning three-straight points.
Illinois secured its 11th doubles point of the season against Michigan. The Wolverines have dropped just four doubles points through 18 dual matches this season. The Orange and Blue have taken the doubles point off Michigan in back-to-back meetings.
When working together, Duong and Heuser are up to a 21-3 overall record, 13-1 mark in dual play and 4-0 reading in B1G contests. Frazier and Casati are now 5-6 when teaming up on the season – all in dual matches – and 2-1 mark in Big Ten play. Martinez and Ferrari now own a 2-1 record – all in Big Ten play – with Sunday's doubles clincher.
Illinois would claim three of six first sets in singles play. Michigan took five of six second sets.
Michigan evened the score at 1-1 with a straight-set win at No. 1 singles. Duong fell 6-3, 6-3 to No. 47 Kari Miller of Michigan. UM took the lead with a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 4 to go up 2-1.
At No. 2, Yeah would come from behind for a 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 upset win over No. 30 Brown of Michigan. Yeah's win knotted the match at 2-2 and pushed her to 14-9 on the season. The Illini senior dropped the first seven games of the match before winning 12 of the final 18.
UM claimed the next decision, to retake the lead at 3-2. Ferrari took the first set 6-3 at No. 6 but her counterpart claimed the next two frames 6-2 and 6-4.
The match would ultimately be decided at No. 5 singles where No. 63 Lily Jones of Michigan took down Kasia Treiber, 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3.
Heuser would go unfinished at No. 3 against No. 37 Julia Fliegner as play was in the third set when action concluded.
No. 5 Michigan marked the seventh match against a ranked team this season, with the Illini sitting at 3-4 in those outings.
Illinois hits the road for its next four matches before returning home for Senior Weekend. Next up, the Illini will visit Rutgers on April 7 and Maryland on April 9.
RESULTS:Â NO. 5 MICHIGAN 4, NO. 34 ILLINOIS 2
Doubles:
No. 1 – No. 28 Kate Duong/Megan Heuser def. No. 2 Brown/Miller (MICH) – 6-4
No. 2 – No. 76 Fliegner/Jones (MICH) def. Josie Frazier/Emily Casati – 6-1
No. 3 – Kida Ferrari/Violeta Martinez def. Kelly/Cerdan (MICH) – 7-6 (9)
Singles:
No. 1 – No. 47 Kari Miller (MICH) def. Kate Duong – 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 – No. 121 Ashley Yeah def. No. 30 Jaedan Brown (MICH) – 0-6, 6-3, 6-4
No. 3 – Megan Heuser vs. No. 37 Julia Fliegner (MICH) – 7-6 (2), 3-6, 1-4 unfinished
No. 4 – Andrea Cerdan (MICH) def. Josie Frazier – 6-2, 6-4
No. 5 – 63 Lily Jones (MICH) def. Kasia Treiber – 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3
No. 6 – Gala Mesochoritou (MICH) def. Kida Ferrari – 6-3, 2-6, 4-6
Order of Finish:
Doubles: 2, 1, 3
Singles: 1, 4, 2, 6, 5
Length: 3:29
Attendance: 188
