URBANA, Ill. – Action in the 2026 ITA National Team Indoor Championship event continued on Saturday for [8] Illinois as the team fell to [4] No. 7 Duke, 4-0.
The Fighting Illini moved to 2-4 on the season and 2-2 when playing in the Atkins Tennis Center this season. Fourth-seeded and No. 7-ranked Duke improved to 6-1 on the season with the win.
Duke ultimately claimed Saturday's doubles point but it wasn't easy. Illinois' No. 59-ranked duo of Alice Xu and Tess Bucher took their No. 19-ranked counterparts to the brink before dropping the breaker, 7-3, for the decision. The Blue Devils claimed a 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles while action was locked at 5-5 at No. 3 when the point was clinched.
The Blue Devils picked up the next three tallies in singles before the Illini could get on the board. Singles action concluded in the order of No. 4, 3, and 2, respectively.
McKenna Schaefbauer was the lone Illini to win a set in singles play, as the senior split the first two sets and went unfinished on the day.
NEXT UP
The Fighting Illini are back in action on Sunday, Feb. 8, from the Atkins Tennis Center as they face [6] No. 12 Vanderbilt at 3:30 p.m. CT.
More information can be found HERE.
[4] #7 DUKE (6-1) 4, ILLINOIS (2-4) 0
Doubles:
1 - No. 19 Liv Hovde/Shavit Kimchi (Duke) def. No. 59 Tess Bucher/Alice Xu (Illinois) - 7-6(3)
2 - No. 29 Claire An/Eleana Yu (Duke) def. McKenna Schaefbauer/Kimiko Cooper (Illinois) - 6-2
3 - Aspen Schuman/Irina Balus (Duke) vs. Ariel Madatali/Cara Mester (Illinois) - 5-5, unfinished
Order of finish: 2, 1
Singles:Â
1 - No. 28 Irina Balus (Duke) vs. No. 67 McKenna Schaefbauer (Illinois) - 6-4, 4-6, unfinished
2 - No. 120 Liv Hovde (Duke) def. Kimiko Cooper (Illinois) - 7-6(3), 6-3
3 - Aspen Schuman (Duke) def. Ariel Madatali (Illinois) - 6-4, 6-1
4 - Eleana Yu (Duke) def. Alice Xu (Illinois) - 6-3, 6-0
5 - Shavit Kimchi (Duke) vs. Tess Bucher (Illinois) - 6-3, 4-4, unfinished
6 - Claire An (Duke) vs. Lizzie Isyanov (Illinois) - 6-4, 3-2, unfinished
Order of finish: 4, 3, 2
Duration: 2:15
Attendance: 289
