Box Score
URBANA, Ill. – Illinois finished the final day of the Fighting Illini Invite in winning fashion, with four Orange and Blue student-athletes securing a singles victory on Sunday.
The Fighting Illini, No. 8 Columbia, and Boise State concluded the weekend after three days of singles and doubles play at Atkins Tennis Center.
Redshirt junior William Mroz won his third singles match of the weekend en route to being named the Fighting Illini Invite's Most Outstanding Singles Player.
After needing three sets in his first two singles matches of the weekend, William Mroz prevailed in straight sets on Sunday, defeating Columbia's Sachin Palta, 7-5, 7-6(5).
Jeremy Zhang picked up his first singles triumph of the spring with a straight-set decision against Boise State's James Van Herzeele. After taking the first frame, 6-1, Zhang battled to secure the second set, 7-5, and the match.
Zach Viiala closed the weekend with the second ranked singles win of his career and his first such victory of the spring, taking down No. 111 Jett Middleton of Boise State in straight sets. Viiala pulled out a 7-5 victory in the first set, and he clinched the win with a 6-3 second-set win.
Following his first-career collegiate singles win on Saturday, Max Mroz carried his momentum into his final match of the weekend. Max took the opening set, 6-4, before dropping the second, 6-2. In the 10-point superbreaker, Max Mroz claimed the set, 10-6, and the match.
DAY 3 RESULTS
Doubles
Max Westphal/Sachin Palta (Columbia) def. John Chin/Carson Baker (Boise State), 6-4
Dylan Jaen/Julius Seifert (Boise State) def. No. 52 Tyler Bowers/Zach Viiala (Illinois), 7-6(5)
Michael Zheng/Andrew Kotzen (Columbia) def. Lukas Velik/Jett Middleton (Boise State), 6-4
Thanaphat Boosarawongse/Jordan Chang (Columbia) def. Taiyo Kurata/James Van Herzeele (Boise State), 6-3
No. 75 Hugo Hashimoto/Jayden Templeman (Columbia) def. William Mroz/Jeremy Zhang (Illinois), 7-6(3)
Singles
No. 33 Hugo Hashimoto (Columbia) def. Carson Baker (Boise State), 6-0, 6-1
Zach Viiala (Illinois) def. No. 111 Jett Middleton (Boise State), 7-5, 6-3
Sachin Palta (Columbia) def. Julius Seifert (Boise State), 6-3, 6-2
Lukas Velik (Boise State) def. Tyler Bowers (Illinois), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Jayden Templeman (Columbia) def. John Chin (Boise State), 7-6(2), 6-3
Jeremy Zhang (Illinois) def. James Van Herzeele (Boise State), 6-1, 7-5
Jordan Chang (Columbia) def. Idriss Haddouch (Boise State), 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
Max Mroz (Illinois) def. Taiyo Kurata (Boise State), 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-6)
No. 30 William Mroz (Illinois) def. Sachin Palta (Columbia), 7-5, 7-6(5)
Andrew Kotzen (Columbia) def. Dylan Jaen (Boise State), 6-0, 6-4
UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini will play their first dual match of the season on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT as part of ITA Kickoff Weekend. Illinois will take on No. 13 Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn., before facing either Auburn or Michigan on Sunday.
