MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Illinois opened play at the Blue Gray Tennis Classic with a 4-0 win over Tulsa followed a delayed start due to rain. The Fighting Illini battled to clinch the squad's fifth doubles point of the season before taking care of business at singles No. 4-6.
With the win over Tulsa, Illinois climbed to 8-2 on the season and extended its streak to five straight victories. The Fighting Illini improved to 3-1 in neutral matches as well. Tulsa moved to 5-6 on the year with the loss.
McKenna Schaefbauer and Violeta Martinez earned a quick 6-1 win at No. 2 doubles before Tulsa picked up a 6-4 win at No. 3 doubles. On the top doubles court, Megan Heuser and Alice Xu went back and forth with Tulsa's duo before outlasting the Hurricane tandem in a tiebreaker, 7-5, to clinch the first point of the match for Illinois. Heuser and Xu are now 5-0 when working together this dual season and 2-0 on the top doubles court.
On the singles courts, Illinois won all six opening sets of action.
Schaefbauer earned her fifth-straight win with a 6-3, 6-2 decision at No. 4 singles to put the Orange and Blue up 2-0 over Tulsa. The sophomore improved to 11-4 overall and 8-1 on the dual season.
Kida Ferrari continued her winning ways, earning a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 6 singles over Tulsa's Erin McKenzie. Ferrari's victory put Illinois up 3-0 and marked her fourth straight win as she improved to 6-1 on the dual campaign.
For the second time in three matches, Josie Frazier clinched the win for Illinois as the fifth-year senior won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 5 singles. Frazier improved to 4-0 at the No. 5 slot and is now 4-2 on the dual season.
Illinois' top three singles courts would go unfinished.
FULL RESULTS: #24 ILLINOIS 4, TULSA 0
Doubles:
No. 1 – Megan Heuser/Alice Xu def. Berlanga/Hutchings (Tulsa) – 7-6 (5)
No. 2 – McKenna Schaefbauer/Violeta Martinez def. McKenzie/Singh (Tulsa) – 6-1
No. 3 – Naranjo/Wilmot (Tulsa) def. Kida Ferrari/Josie Frazier – 6-4
Singles:
No. 1 – Megan Heuser vs. Maria Berlanga (Tulsa) – 6-3, 5-7, unfinished
No. 2 – Violeta Martinez vs. Oleksandra Nahurska (Tulsa) – 6-2, 3-4, unfinished
No. 3 – Kasia Treiber vs. Lily Hutchings (Tulsa) – 7-5, 1-6, unfinished
No. 4 – McKenna Schaefbauer def. Ana Naranjo (Tulsa) – 6-3, 6-2
No. 5 – Josie Frazier def. Myroslava Zelenchuk (Tulsa) – 6-2, 6-1
No. 6 – Kida Ferrari def. Erin McKenzie (Tulsa) – 6-2, 6-3
Order of Finish:
Doubles: 2, 3, 1
Singles: 4, 6, 5
IN PROGRESS: #24 ILLINOIS 0, #36 ALABAMA 1
Doubles:
No. 1 – No. 37 Hiser/Bemcheikh (Alabama) def. Megan Heuser/Alice Xu - 6-3
No. 2 – McKenna Schaefbauer/Violeta Martinez def. Sedlackova/Parkhomenko (Alabama) - 6-3
No. 3 – Pitak/Milicevic (Alabama) def. Kida Ferrari/Josie Frazier – 6-3
Order of Finish:
Doubles: 2, 3, 1
