CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois concludes the regular season with its first-ever conference road trip to the West Coast, facing Big Ten newcomers Oregon and Washington away from home. The Fighting Illini are set to play the Ducks on Friday at 5 p.m. CT before battling with the Huskies in Seattle on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
The Orange and Blue enter the weekend with an overall record of 13-9 and a 6-5 mark in conference play ahead of their final two duals of the 2025 regular season.
LAST TIME OUT
Illinois closed its home slate with a dominant 4-0 sweep against Penn State on Saturday, April 12, at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex in Urbana.
The Illini secured the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and 3. Teaming up for the first time in Big Ten play this season, Kenta Miyoshi and Mathis Debru were the first to finish with a 6-1 decision over Penn State's Charl Morgan and Marcus Schoeman at No. 1 doubles. Max Mroz and Jeremy Zhang then registered a 6-3 triumph on Court 3 over Shrikeshav Murugesan and Denys Forgaci to give Illinois a 1-0 lead in the match.
Debru extended the Illinois advantage with a dominant straight-set decision at No. 5 singles against Nolan Ranger, 6-1, 6-1. Miyoshi was the next to finish with a two-set victory on the top singles court over Penn State's Charl Morgan. His 6-3, 6-3 victory helped him improve to 6-2 in Big Ten play.
Max Mroz recorded his first-career clinch with his 6-1, 6-4 victory at No. 6 singles against Denys Forgaci. With the first frame tied at 1-1, Mroz claimed the next five games, breaking in the fourth and sixth games. Knotted at 4-4 in the second set, Mroz broke in the ninth game before holding serve in the 10th to clinch the Illini victory.
ABOUT OREGON, WASHINGTON
Oregon, ranked No. 54 nationally, heads into the final weekend of the regular season with an 11-12 overall mark and a 3-8 record in Big Ten play. The Ducks went 1-1 during their road trip to the Hoosier State last week, defeating Indiana on April 11 before suffering a 4-2 defeat against Purdue.
Friday's hosts are 10-3 on their home courts this season, including a 2-3 tally against conference opponents. In league play, Oregon has home wins over Penn State and Wisconsin while falling to Ohio State, Washington, and Nebraska.
The Ducks boast two players in the ITA singles rankings: No. 104 Lenn Luemkemann and No. 110 Vlad Breazu
Meanwhile, Washington is 15-6 overall with a 7-4 mark in conference action. The Huskies have won their last four duals, recording a four-match winning streak against Nebraska, Wisconsin, Purdue, and Indiana. Washington posted road victories against the Boilermakers and the Hoosiers last week.
The Huskies hold a 10-1 record on their home courts, with the only loss coming against Ohio State on March 16. Coming in at No. 39 in the most recent ITA team rankings, Washington is the seventh-highest ranked team in the conference.
The Huskies feature one ranked singles player, No. 35 Cesar Bouchelaghem, who is 14-2 during dual play this spring and has an 8-1 Big Ten singles record.
SERIES HISTORY
Friday marks the first-ever matchup between Illinois and Oregon.
Illinois is 5-1 against Washington in the all-time series. The sides will meet for the first time since the 2009-10 season, when the Illini posted a 7-0 victory against the Huskies on Jan. 30, 2010. This weekend will be the first meeting between Illinois and Washington as Big Ten foes.
DANCER EARNS CONTRACT EXTENSION THROUGH 2031
Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman has announced a contract extension for longtime Fighting Illini men's tennis head coach Brad Dancer. The new agreement keeps Dancer on contract through the 2030-31 season.
"Brad Dancer is a trusted, veteran leader in our athletics department and one of the most accomplished coaches throughout all of collegiate tennis, and we are thrilled to extend our partnership through the next six years as he continues to lead a championship-caliber men's tennis program," Whitman said. "Brad is a relentless competitor who inspires his athletes and is committed to their development both on and off the court. Despite decades of success, he is never complacent, exhausting every avenue each day to push his team to new heights. We are grateful to Brad and his family for becoming ingrained into the fabric of the University of Illinois community, and we look forward to many more successful years for Fighting Illini Men's Tennis."
Currently in his 20th season as head coach and 21st campaign overall at Illinois, Dancer has guided the Orange and Blue to 17 NCAA Tournament berths, 11 Sweet 16 appearances, three Big Ten Tournament titles, and two Big Ten regular-season conference championships, building on the program's longstanding winning tradition.
Since taking over as head coach on June 28, 2005, Dancer has become the Illinois men's tennis program's all-time winningest coach while currently ranking as the eighth-winningest coach in Big Ten history. A two-time ITA Regional Coach of the Year, Dancer has coached 28 All-Americans, 42 All-Big Ten honorees, four Big Ten Players of the Year, and two Big Ten Freshmen of the Year during his tenure with the Orange and Blue.
Dancer holds a record of 387-183 overall and 161-43 in Big Ten play during his time at the helm of the Fighting Illini, with his overall wins and conference victories both ranking first in program history.
ILLINI EARN FIRST TOP-25 WIN OF SEASON, DEFEAT NO. 12 MICHIGAN
No. 20 Illinois recorded its first ranked win of the spring with a 5-2 victory over No. 12 Michigan at Atkins Tennis Center on Feb. 22.
Despite dropping the first set on five singles courts, the Illini fought back to win four singles matches while claiming the doubles point for the second time this season.
Illinois secured the doubles point behind wins at No. 2 and 3. Mathis Debru and Max Mroz, teaming up for the first time this spring, were the first to finish and earned a 6-2 victory at No. 3 doubles. Kenta Miyoshi and William Mroz were not far behind at No. 2 doubles, posting a 6-4 win to take the doubles point for the Illini
Miyoshi recorded the team's first singles win of the night with a 7-6(4), 6-3 triumph at No. 1 against No. 55 Benjamin Kittay, marking the Illini junior's third ranked win of the dual season.
Zach Viiala was the next to finish with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 6 singles, and Debru ultimately clinched the Orange and Blue's win with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory on Court 5. With the sides agreeing to play out the match, Will Mroz closed the night with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 triumph at No. 2 singles and completed the 5-2 ranked win.
MIYOSHI EARNS ITA SINGLES ALL-AMERICAN STATUS
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-American honors for the first time in his career before falling in the third round on Nov. 19.
TEAMS/PLAYERS IN THE ITA RANKINGS
Team
- No. 31: Illinois
- No. 39: Washington
- No. 54: Oregon
Singles
- No. 14: Kenta Miyoshi (Illinois)
- No. 35: Cesar Bouchelaghem (Washington)
- No. 76: William Mroz (Illinois)
- No. 104: Lenn Luemkemann (Oregon)
- No. 110: Vlad Breazu (Oregon)
Doubles
