University of Illinois
ITA Central Sectional Championship
November 4, 2026 | Men's Tennis
PREVIEW
| Five Illini Head South for ITA Sectionals | |
|---|---|
| Tournament | ITA Central Sectional Championship |
| Date | Nov. 5-8 |
| Location | Waco, Texas (Hurd Tennis Center) |
| Tournament Site | Tournament Site |
| Draws | Singles | Doubles |
| Live Coverage | Live Streams |
| Illinois | Roster | Schedule | 2025-26 Statistics |
| Shop | Fighting Illini Store |
| Social Media | X | Instagram | Facebook |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois is set for its final opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships with the ITA Central Sectional Championship from Nov. 5-8 in Waco, Texas.
David Bakonyi, Adam Jilly, Zach Viiala, Colson Wells, and Jeremy Zhang will all represent the Fighting Illini at Baylor this weekend. Jilly, Viiala, and Zhang will compete in singles play, while the duos of Bakonyi/Jilly and Wells/Zhang will take part in doubles action.
The single-elimination tournament is the final of four events that serve as pathways into the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, scheduled for Nov. 17-22 in Athens, Georgia. The four singles semifinalists and two quarterfinal playoff winners will advance to the NCAA Singles Championship, while the two doubles finalists and third-place finisher will progress to the NCAA Doubles Championship.
Viiala will open his singles run against Ohio State's #12-ranked Preston Stearns, while Jilly will face Texas' #97 Lucas Marionneau in the opening round of action. Zhang will also take on a ranked opponent with his first-round match against TCU's #111 Maximus Dussault.
In the doubles draw, Wells/Zhang are set to square off with Texas' #4-seeded and #20-ranked Mariano Dedura-Palomero/Abel Forger in the opening round. Bakonyi/Jilly will battle Baylor's Drew Hedgecoe/Louis Bowden in their first match of the competition.
Action from Hurd Tennis Center in Waco will begin on Thursday.
Opening-round singles and doubles matchups:
Singles Main Draw
Adam Jilly (Illinois) vs. #97 Lucas Marionneau (Texas) – Thursday at 10:30 a.m. CT
Zach Viiala (Illinois) vs. #12 Preston Stearns (Ohio State) – Thursday at 10:30 a.m. CT
Jeremy Zhang (Illinois) vs. #111 Maximus Dussault (TCU) – Thursday at 12:30 p.m. CT
Singles - Extra Matches
David Bakonyi (Illinois) vs. Calum Jestin (Tulsa) – Thursday at 9 a.m. CT
Colson Wells (Illinois) vs. Loan Lestir (Memphis) – Thursday at 9 a.m. CT
Doubles Main Draw
Adam Jilly/David Bakonyi (Illinois) vs. Drew Hedgecoe/Louis Bowden (Baylor) – Thursday at 2:30 p.m. CT
Colson Wells/Jeremy Zhang (Illinois) vs. [4] #20 Mariano Dedura-Palomero/Abel Forger (Texas) – Thursday at 3:30 p.m. CT
