Illini Men’s Tennis Welcomes Talented Trio to 2016 Class

Vuk Budic, Aleks Kovacevic and Noé Khlif each signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University of Illinois

Men's Tennis August 8, 2016

Illini Men’s Tennis Welcomes Talented Trio to 2016 Class

Vuk Budic, Aleks Kovacevic and Noé Khlif each signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University of Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Head coach Brad Dancer of the University of Illinois men's tennis program announced the addition of three new members to the 2016-17 Fighting Illini squad. Vuk Budic, Aleks Kovacevic and Noé Khlif each signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University of Illinois and compete on the men's tennis team.

The trio joins fellow incoming freshmen Zeke Clark, Kris Ortega and Gui Gomes as part of a talented class put together by the Illini coaching staff. The six Illini newcomers will join six returning members of the 2015-16 Illinois squad that finished the season ranked 18^th in the final Oracle ITA Rankings after reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Vuk Budic // Chicago / Dublin, Ireland // Deerfield High School / Marian College in Dublin

-U16 Irish National Champion

-U18 Irish National Champion

-2016 Illinois High School State Singles Champion

Coach Dancer on Budic:

"What a great thrill it is to welcome Vuk back home. Not only is he going to bring great passion and energy to our team, but clearly he will energize our fan base having the prodigal son return home. I remember Vuk from when I first arrived in Champaign and his enthusiasm and tough spirit has not waned. He will be a great leader for our program as he moves through the ranks."

Why Budic Chose Illinois:

"After being born and raised in Champaign until I was 11, I always knew Illinois was a great university. The combination of a great group of guys on the team as well as top-notch coaches and facilities made me want to become a part of this team"

Aleksandar Kovacevic // Boca Raton, Fla. // Florida Virtual High School

-2015 Atlanta ITF Semifinalist

-2015 National Clay Courts Doubles Finalist

-2016 Florida State Tournament Finalist

-2016 Copa Badia ITA Doubles Champion

Coach Dancer on Kovacevic:

"Aleks is another young man with the total package. He's a great student and has a tremendous eye for the game of tennis. That's one of the components that Cos and I saw in him – he has great vision on the court. As he grows stronger and is put up against tougher competition, he will thrive in our environment."

Why Kovacevic Chose Illinois:

"I chose Illinois because I love the coaches and the atmosphere. I think it's the perfect place to improve my game as well as get a great education."

Noé Khlif // Marseille, France // CNED Rouen

-French Singles Champion

-Two-time French Doubles Champion

-ITF G5 Singles Champion

-ITF G4 Singles Champion

-ITF G3 Doubles Champion

Coach Dancer on Khlif:

"This is a tremendous young man. You always hate to compare people to others, but there are many parallels with Noé and Bruno Abdelnour we saw in the evaluation process. You are talking about a young man with impeccable academic credentials and a proven history of success on the court. He's the whole package. Noe's diverse background fit well in our culture and he was an immediate hit with our team."

Why Khlif Chose Illinois:

"I chose Illinois because I loved my visit there. The campus and facilities are amazing and the guys on the tennis team are very nice. Moreover, Illinois is a very good university for academics and tennis and both are important to me. In addition, the coaching staff seems very involved in their job and close with the players. I love and need that. I think the University of Illinois is the right place for me to grow up as a tennis player and as a man. I just hope the weather will be sweet with me!"