URBANA, Ill. – No. 45 Illinois used strong singles play to take down Oregon, 4-1, at Atkins Tennis Center on Saturday afternoon.
Despite dropping the doubles point, the Illini responded on the singles courts by winning all 10 completed singles sets. With its second straight victory, No. 45 Illinois improves to 8-8 on the season and 3-2 in Big Ten action. The Illini moved to 7-6 in action from the Atkins Tennis Center with Saturday's win. The Ducks are now 7-7 on the season and 0-5 in league play.
Oregon put the first point on the scoreboard of the day, winning doubles matches at No. 2 and 3, respectively. The Illini tandem of Megan Heuser and Kida Ferrari earned a 6-4, comeback win at No. 1 singles. The Illinois duo trailed 0-2 and 2-4 before winning the final four games to earn the win.
The Illini bounced back in singles play. Heuser was the first to finish, earning a straight-set victory over the Ducks' Karin Young at No. 2 singles. Breaking three times in the opening frame, Heuser broke twice in the second set to win her match, 6-0, 6-2, a result that saw her move to 3-1 in Big Ten play this season.
McKenna Schaefbauer was not far behind with a straight-set win of her own at No. 1, defeating Oregon's Marjorie Souza to give Illinois its first lead of the afternoon. Despite dropping the opening game, Schaefbauer won the final six games of the first frame. In a 0-1 hole once again to start the second set, the Illini junior won the next five games to take a 5-1 advantage before closing out her first conference victory, 6-2.
At No. 3 singles, Violeta Martinez claimed her first conference victory of the season with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 decision. With the score tied at 2-2 in the first set, Martinez won the next four games to secure the opening set. Jumping out to a 5-0 edge in the second frame, Martinez closed out her win to extend the Illini advantage to 3-1 with three matches still in progress.
Kida Ferrari ultimately clinched the Orange and Blue win with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Bridget Mihulka at No. 5 singles. Going up 3-0 in the first set, Ferrari eventually took the frame, 6-3. With the second set tied at 5-5, Ferrari broke late while also holding serve for the 7-5 triumph, which sealed the dual win for the Illini.
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FINAL SCORE: NO. 45 ILLINOIS (8-8, 3-2 B1G) 4, OREGON (7-7, 0-5 B1G) 1
Doubles
No. 1 – Megan Heuser/Kida Ferrari def. Jagare/Santitto (UO) - 6-4
No. 2 – Mihulka/Young (UO) def. Alice Xu/Violeta Martinez - 6-1
No. 3 – Souza/Aparisi (UO) def. McKenna Schaefbauer/Kasia Treiber - 6-4
Singles
No. 1 – McKenna Schaefbauer def. Marjorie Souza (UO) - 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 – Megan Heuser def. Karin Young (UO) - 6-0, 6-2Â
No. 3 – Violeta Martinez def. Tilde Jagare (UO) - 6-2, 6-2
No. 4 – Ariel Madatali vs. Patsy Daughters (UO) - 6-3, 0-5, unfinished
No. 5 – Kida Ferrari def. Bridget Mihulka (UO) - 6-3, 7-5
No. 6 – Kasia Treiber vs. Juliet Santitto (UO) - 6-4, 5-5, unfinished
Order of Finish
Doubles: 2, 1, 3
Singles: 2, 1, 3, 5
Duration: 2:03
Attendance: 101
Played indoors
NEXT UP
Illinois is back in action from the Atkins Tennis Center on Monday, when No. 20 Washington comes to town for a 3 p.m. CT match.
