Box Score WACO, Texas – Illinois junior Kenta Miyoshi earned ITA All-America status during his first-ever appearance at the NCAA Singles Championship, advancing to the singles third round at Baylor's Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. Miyoshi represented the Fighting Illini men's tennis program at the event, which moved from the spring to the fall for the first time.
Miyoshi picked up two straight-set ranked wins en route to securing Singles All-America honors for the first time in his career before falling in the third round on Thursday.
"Kenta is making a ton of progress with his game. He's making shot production gains, mental gains, and tactical gains," said head coach Brad Dancer. "Credit to Spencer today for disrupting Kenta. Overall, Kenta is super clear about his pathway and how his game continues to develop from here."
First Round: #42 Miyoshi (Illinois)Â def. #77 Jack Loutit (Kentucky)
After serving first, Miyoshi broke Loutit's serve in the second game of the first set, giving the Japan native an early 2-0 edge. The Wildcat sophomore broke right back, and the opening set went back and forth until Miyoshi broke Loutit's serve in the eighth game to establish a 5-3Â advantage. Miyoshi closed out the set from the service line, claiming the opening frame, 6-3.
Loutit took the first game of the second set, but Miyoshi responded by winning the next three games to take a 3-1 lead in the frame, a stretch that included Miyoshi's third break point of the match. With both players holding serve the rest of the way, Miyoshi's break point in the third game proved to be the difference in his 6-4 second-set victory.
Miyoshi's 6-3, 6-4 victory saw him progress to the second round against No. 6-ranked Radu Papoe of Cornell on Wednesday.
Second Round: #42 Miyoshi (Illinois) def. #6 Radu Papoe (Cornell)
Miyoshi opted to serve first for the second consecutive match. After both players held serve through the first three games, Miyoshi won the break point in the fourth game to jump out to a 3-1 edge. With neither student-athlete able to break the other's serve the rest of the way, Miyoshi took the opening set, 6-3.
Both players held early, but three consecutive games featured a player breaking their opponent's serve. Miyoshi was the first to break Papoe's serve in the third game before Papoe returned the favor in the fourth game. Miyoshi broke right back, though, taking a 3-2 advantage before eventually closing out the set – and the match – from the service line, 6-4.
Miyoshi's 6-3, 6-4 triumph saw the Japan native earn ITA All-America status for the first time in his career, which also saw him earn a spot in the third round against UCLA's No. 55 Spencer Johnson.Â
Third Round: #55 Spencer Johnson (UCLA) def. #42 Miyoshi (Illinois)
Miyoshi's time at the NCAA Singles Championship came to a close on Thursday, falling in straight sets in the third round to UCLA's No. 55-ranked Spencer Johnson.
Results
First Round (Tuesday, Nov. 19): #42 Kenta Miyoshi (Illinois) def. #77 Jack Loutit (Kentucky), 6-3, 6-4
Second Round (Wednesday, Nov. 20): #42 Kenta Miyoshi (Illinois) def. #6 Radu Papoe (Cornell), 6-3, 6-4
Third Round (Thursday, Nov. 21): #55 Spencer Johnson (UCLA) def. #42 Kenta Miyoshi (Illinois), 6-3, 6-4
