Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 URBANA, Ill. – Fighting Illini women's tennis won 15 of 17 completed singles and doubles matches across a 2-0 day from the Atkins Tennis Center on Sunday. Illinois opened the 2024 campaign with a 6-1 Braggin' Rights win over Missouri before closing the day with a 7-0 sweep of Eastern Illinois.
"Today was a great start to the 2024 campaign for the Illini," opened head coach Evan Clark. "I'm so pleased with how the team managed some really tough moments today and were able to work through it and find ways to win. There's no question that type of experience this early in the year will be so beneficial as we move forward with our competitive schedule that's ahead of us. We've got a lot of work to do but certainly feel like we are in a great position headed into next weekend."
Missouri got on the board first by winning the doubles point after taking decisions on courts 1 and 3. On court 2, Kate Duong and Josie Frazier downed their Missouri counterparts, 6-2.
On the singles courts, Illinois won the opening set on all six courts. The Orange and Blue claimed 5-of-6 second sets, and the lone third set that was played.
At No. 1 singles, Megan Heuser evened the Braggin' Rights match at 1-1 after making quick work of her Tiger opponent, 6-1, 6-1. Frazier followed to give Illinois the lead, securing a 6-3, 6-3 victory. After winning a first-set tiebreaker 7-3, McKenna Schaefbauer earned a 6-2 second-set win for the 3-1 Illinois lead. Violeta Martinez would clinch the win with her 6-4, 7-6 (6) win at No. 4.
Playing out the remaining matches, Duong secured a 7-6 (6), 6-4 win at No. 2 and Kasia Treiber added the finishing touch with a 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 victory at No. 3 singles for the 6-1 margin.
Illinois is now 5-0 all-time against Missouri.
An hour later, the Illini were back in action as Eastern Illinois visited the Atkins Tennis Center.
The Illini earned victories at doubles No. 2 and 3 as the duos of Kida Ferrari and Violeta Martinez as well as Kasia Treiber and Alice Xu earned the wins, respectively.
On the singles courts, all six matches would result in straight-set victories for Illinois. Xu shut out her opposition 6-0, 6-0 to push the Illini lead to 2-0. Heuser followed with her second sweep of the day in 6-0, 6-2 fashion before Martinez' 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles clinched the Illinois win.
The sides would once again play out the matches. Schaefbauer earned a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 3 singles to push the Illini lead to 5-0. Rosie Seccia followed with a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 6 before Ferrari's 6-2, 6-3 victory rounded out the final 7-0 margin.
Illinois improved to 14-4 all-time against Eastern Illinois and has swept the last seven outings against the Panthers.
Next Friday and Saturday, Illinois will head east to take on Charlotte and No. 15 Duke from Durham, North Carolina. Friday's neutral action against the 49ers from Durham is set for 5 p.m. CT, with Saturday's match at Duke at 5 p.m. as well.
FULL RESULTS: ILLINOIS 6, Missouri 1
Doubles:
No. 1 – No. 16 M. Canete/I. Canete (Missouri) def. Megan Heuser/McKenna Schaefbauer – 6-4
No. 2 – Kate Duong/Josie Frazier def. Martinez/Cardenas (Missouri) – 6-2
No. 3 – Schwarte/Artimedi (Missouri) def. Kida Ferrari/Violeta Martinez – 6-4
Singles:
No. 1 – Megan Heuser def. Mae Canete (Missouri) – 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 – Kate Duong def. Inah Canete (Missouri) – 7-6 (6), 6-4
No. 3 – Kasia Treiber vs. Gabriela Martinez (Missouri) – 6-0, 4-6, 7-5
No. 4 – Violeta Martinez def. Emelie Schwarte (Missouri) – 6-4, 7-6 (6)
No. 5 – Josie Frazier def. Romary Cardenas (Missouri) – 6-3, 6-3
No. 6 – McKenna Schaefbauer def. Andrea Artimedi (Missouri) – 7-6 (3), 6-2
Order of Finish:
Doubles: 3, 2, 1
Singles: 1, 5, 6, 4, 2, 3
Attendance: 91
FULL RESULTS: ILLINOIS 7, Eastern Illinois 0
Doubles:
No. 1 – Megan Heuser/McKenna Schaefbauer vs. Wooten/Brown (EIU) – 5-1 (30-15), unfinished
No. 2 – Kida Ferrari/Violeta Martinez def. Kostadinova/Fay (EIU) – 6-1
No. 3 – Kasia Treiber/Alice Xu def. Renovales/Booth (EIU) – 6-1
Singles:
No. 1 – Megan Heuser def. Aleyla Wooten (EIU) – 6-0, 6-2
No. 2 – Violeta Martinez def. Charleigh Fay (EIU) – 6-2, 6-1
No. 3 – McKenna Schaefbauer def. Addison Brown (EIU) – 6-4, 6-1
No. 4 – Kida Ferrari def. Jemma Booth (EIU) – 6-2, 6-3
No. 5 – Alice Xu def. Michelle Kostadinova (EIU) – 6-0, 6-0
No. 6 – Rosie Seccia def. Luisa Renovales (EIU) – 6-3, 6-0
Order of Finish:
Doubles: 3, 2
Singles: 5, 1, 2, 3, 6, 4
Attendance: 50
