Box Score | Dancer, Kovacevic Interview | Match Point Video
STILLWATER, Okla. – The Illinois men's tennis team defeated the No. 10-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys, 4-3 in a gritty, comeback victory. The Illini advance to the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time since 2015.
Oklahoma State took the doubles point on Saturday afternoon with wins on courts one and three. Down 3-0 after losses at the No. 3 and 6 positons, the Orange and Blue began to mount a comeback. Junior Aron Hiltzik split sets with Oklahoma State's No. 105-ranked Arjun Kadhe. Hiltzik would dominate the third set, 6-0, to give Illinois its first point.
Fellow-junior Aleks Vukic and No. 26-ranked Julian Cash were locked in a battle on court one. A first set tiebreaker went the Illini's way by a score of 7-4 and the pair would trade service breaks and holds until a tiebreak was need in the second set. Vukic took the tiebreak 7-4 to extend his singles winning streak to 21 matches.
Simultaneously, freshman Zeke Clark was serving for the match on court five in a tiebreak with Tristan Meraut. After a strong forehand from Clark, Meraut's forehand went into the net to tie the match at 3-all.
The match came down to court four and freshman Aleks Kovacevic taking on Artur Dubinski. Kovacevic took the first set by way of a 7-2 tiebreak. Dubinski earned a second set victory, 7-5. In the third set, the Illini dominated the play and sealed the match victory with an ace.
Up next, the Illini will travel to Athens, Ga. for a rematch with the TCU Horned Frogs on Thursday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
Head Coach Brad Dancer's Thoughts
"I am proud of the win but way more proud of how we chose to execute. Kova [Aleks Kovacevic] had multiple match points in second set and doesn't blink coming out for the third. Zeke [Clark] gets passed by a backhand slice on match point and 30 minutes later he's coming in again on his next match point. Aron [Hiltzik] slaying his doubts and then starting to come after the ball like only Aron can. Vuki [Aleks Vukic] playing just as a warrior-he pulled that one out purely on guts. It was a great gritty effort from the squad. As always, the whole team wants to thank all the fans that traveled to Stillwater to make it feel like a home match here. The support we have around the country is incredible."
Final Results
#25 Illinois 4, #10 Oklahoma State 3
Doubles-Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3*
- #6 Cash/Kadhe (OK State) def. Jesse/Kovacevic (Illinois) 6-3
- Gomes/Hiltzik (Illinois) def. Gerch/Mendoza (OK State) 7-5
- Dubinski/Meraut (OK State) def. Budic/Clark (Illinois) 6-4
Singles-Order of Finish: 3, 6, 2, 1, 5, 4*
- #3 Aleks Vukic (Illinois) def. #26 Julian Cash (OK State) 7-6(4), 7-6(4)
- #41 Aron Hiltzik (Illinois) def. #105 Arjun Kadhe (OK State) 3-6, 6-3, 6-0
- Lucas Gerch (OK State) def. Gui Gomes (Illinois) 6-3, 6-0
- Aleks Kovacevic (Illinois) def. Artur Dubinski (OK State) 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-0
- Zeke Clark (Illinois) def. Tristan Meraut (OK State) 6-4, 7-6(8)
- #76 Lukas Finzelberg (OK State) def. Vuk Budic (Illinois) 6-1, 6-3
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