| Matches 22-24: #14 Illinois vs. Eastern Kentucky, Indiana, Purdue |
| Match 22 |
vs. Eastern Kentucky // Friday, April 3 // 12:30 p.m. CT |
| Match 23 |
vs. Indiana // Friday, April 3 // 6 p.m. CT |
| Match 24 |
vs. Purdue // Sunday, April 5 // 2 p.m. CT |
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Atkins Tennis Center // Urbana, Ill. |
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Indiana Match:
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International Night - Join us as we celebrate our international student-athletes!
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Wine Night - Wine pull raffle and Illinois Tennis branded wine tumblers for early arriving fans
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Post-Match Court Access - Refine your own tennis skills with a 30-minute "open court" following each match!
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Food truck - Brien's Bistro free food voucher for a limited number of fans
Purdue Match:
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Pre-Match Easter Brunch + Egg Hunt
Post-Match Court Access - Refine your own tennis skills with a 30-minute "open court" following each match!
Food truck - Juanito's free food voucher for a limited number of fans
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 14 Illinois returns to Atkins Tennis Center as it hosts three home matches over the weekend. The Fighting Illini, holding a 16-5 record and 6-2 mark in Big Ten play, will take on Eastern Kentucky and Indiana on Friday at 12:30 p.m. CT and 6 p.m. CT, respectively, before playing Purdue on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.
Admission is free to both contests.
LAST TIME OUT
No. 14 Illinois bounced back with a dominant 6-1 road win over Penn State on Sunday, March 29.
The Fighting Illini secured the doubles point and singles victories at the No. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 positions. The Nittany Lions' lone win came on Court 6 in singles play.
In doubles, the Orange and Blue quickly took care of business with wins at No. 1 and 3. Tyler Bowers and Sasha Colleu were the first to finish with their 6-1 decision over Kyle Chesman and Marcus Schoeman before Kenta Miyoshi and William Mroz teamed up for a 6-2 triumph against Michael Wright and David Lindsay.
The Illini carried their momentum into singles play. With Illinois taking five opening sets, Miyoshi posted his second win of the day via a 6-1, 6-4 margin over Michael Wright on the top singles court.
Back-to-back straight-set triumphs for Illini freshmen Adam Jilly and Colleu clinched the visitors' victory. Jilly defeated Reiya Hattori, 7-6(1), 6-3, at No. 3 singles before Colleu collected a 7-6(6), 6-3 win over David Lindsay on Court 4.
Mroz and Hayden Jones added to the Illini's advantage with two-set triumphs of their own. Mroz took down Marcus Schoeman, 6-4, 7-6(3), while Jones recorded a 6-2, 6-3 tally against Eyal Shyovitz at No. 5 singles. Penn State claimed the final victory of the day with a three-set triumph at No. 6 singles.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Eastern Kentucky heads to Champaign-Urbana with an 11-13 record, though the Colonels are currently riding a two-match winning streak. EKU's back-to-back victories came against Southern Indiana and Bellarmine in a doubleheader on Wednesday.
Indiana enters the weekend with a 9-7 overall record and a 3-4 mark in conference play. The Hoosiers are coming off a 4-1 victory over Purdue in their most recent match last Saturday.
Indiana has been strong on their home courts, but it will be tested on the road against the Illini. In conference play, the Hoosiers have been competitive, resulting in many close matches, while they are 2-3 away from home this season.
On the doubles courts, Indiana features two duos ranked in the top 50, with Matteo Antonescu and Michael Andre coming in at No. 36 and Jip Van Assendelft and Sam Landau checking in at No. 41.
Purdue sits at 4-12 overall and 0-7 in Big Ten play this season. The Boilermakers most recently fell 4-1 to Indiana last Saturday
Purdue has had more success in nonconference play but has faced challenges during Big Ten matches this season. The Boilermakers will look to regroup as they head to Champaign.
The Boilermaker tandem of Aleksa Krivokapic and Maj Premzl is currently ranked No. 57 in the latest ITA doubles rankings.
ITA RANKINGS ROUNDUP
Team
- No. 14: Illinois
- No. 62: Indiana
Singles
Doubles
- No. 36: Matteo Antonescu/Michael Andre (Indiana)
- No. 41: Jip van Assendelft/Sam Landau (Indiana)
- No. 52: Kenta Miyoshi/William Mroz (Illinois)
- No. 56: Adam Jilly/Kenta Miyoshi (Illinois)
- No. 57: Aleksa Krivokapic/Maj Premzl (Purdue)
- No. 68: Sam Landau/Braeden Gelletich (Indiana)
- No. 73: Facundo Yunis/Sam Landau (Indiana)
JILLY SECURES BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK HONORS FOR THIRD TIME (MARCH 18)
Fighting Illini freshman Adam Jilly was recognized by the conference office on Wednesday as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week following his standout performances on the singles courts over the weekend.
Jilly earned the conference's freshman weekly honors for the third time this season after clinching Illinois' road wins over Nebraska and Wisconsin.
Against the Cornhuskers on Friday, the Hungary native notched a straight-set decision over Niels Van Der Sijs to clinch the Illini's 4-1 triumph.
Two days later, he provided the clinching win against Wisconsin. Jilly's 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 triumph over Edouard Aubert at No. 4 singles extended his singles winning streak to five matches and pushed the Illini's winning streak to 10.
VIIALA SECURES B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK STATUS (MARCH 11)
Illinois redshirt sophomore Zach Viiala was recognized by the conference office on Wednesday as the Big Ten Player of the Week following his performances during the Fighting Illini's wins over Northern Illinois, Oregon, and Washington.
Viiala earned conference weekly honors for the first time in his career, while this marks the third straight week that an Illini student-athlete has been named the Big Ten Player of the Week.
The Perth, Australia, native went 4-0 across singles and doubles play across the team's three dual wins while remaining perfect on the singles courts this season.
On the doubles courts, Viiala began the weekend with a dramatic 7-6(6) win over Oregon's Cameron Burton/Lachlan Robertson on Court 3 on Friday. Against Washington on Sunday, he secured a 6-3 triumph against the Huskie duo of Stephane Kamendje and Rohan Belday.
In singles play, Viiala posted a 6-2, 6-0 decision against Northern Illinois' Chiao Bo Suo Nan on Court 4. He followed it up with a 6-0, 6-0 triumph over Oregon's Cameron Burton.
Debru, Jilly Help Illinois Sweep Big Ten Weekly Awards (March 4)
Fighting Illini freshmen Gabriel Debru and Adam Jilly were recognized by the conference office on March 4 with Big Ten weekly awards following their standout performances during Illinois' wins over No. 6 TCU and No. 8 Baylor last week.
Debru was named Big Ten Player of the Week for the first time in his career, while Jilly was tabbed with Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for the second time.
Debru went 4-0 across singles and doubles play during Illinois' two top-10 wins. Recording three total ranked victories over the course of the weekend, including two over top-15 singles players, Debru moved up to No. 26 in the ITA singles rankings. Jilly also put together a perfect weekend with two singles triumphs of his own. He notched the fourth ranked decision of his collegiate career during that stretch while climbing to No. 111 in the ITA singles rankings.
The Illini claimed the Big Ten Player of the Week award in consecutive weeks after William Mroz received that recognition on Feb. 25. This marks the third Big Ten Freshman of the Week distinction for an Illini this season, with Jilly winning twice and Sasha Colleu securing the status on Jan. 21.
ILLINOIS EARNS BACK-TO-BACK TOP-10 NONCONFERENCE WINS (FEB. 27-28)
Over the course of consecutive nights, Illinois defeated No. 8 Baylor (Feb. 27) and No. 6 TCU (Feb. 28) at Atkins Tennis Center.
The Illini took the doubles point in both matches, while Gabriel Debru logged top-15 singles victories on Court 1 against both the Bears and the Horned Frogs. Kenta Miyoshi clinched the Friday night triumph with a ranked win on Court 2, while Adam Jilly's three-set decision on Court 4 closed out Saturday's victory.
Against No. 8 Baylor, the Orange and Blue drew first blood with a 6-3 victory by Gabriel Debru and Tyler Bowers over Baylor's Alexandru Chirita and Zsombor Velcz on Court 1. On Court 2, Kenta Miyoshi and William Mroz finished the job with a 6-4 victory over Luc Koenig and Connor Henry Van Schalkwyk.
Adam Jilly started the singles action for Illinois with a 6-2, 6-1 win over No. 73 Alexandru Chirita of Baylor, marking his fourth ranked singles win of the season. Debru also snagged his third ranked triumph of the season with 6-4, 6-0 victory over No. 13 Devin Badenhorst.
Miyoshi would go the distance against No. 39 Zsombor Velcz, outlasting the Hungarian in three sets, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, to secure a top-10 win for the Illini.
On Saturday against No. 6 TCU, the Illini once again came out strong in doubles play. Zach Viiala and Sasha Colleu were the first to finish, defeating TCU's Maximus Dussault/Albert Pedrico on Court 3. Gabriel Debru and Tyler Bowers ultimately collected the doubles point with a ranked win on the top doubles court over No. 56 Cooper Woestendick/Oliver Bonding.
After the Horned Frogs got on the board with a win at No. 5, senior William Mroz jump-started the Illini in singles play with a 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 28 Cooper Woestendick of TCU on Court 3.
TCU evened the contest at 2-2, but the Illini freshmen ended up taking this one home, first with Gabriel Debru on the top singles court. The Frenchman notched his fourth ranked singles win of the season, defeating No. 9 Duncan Chan in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
Adam Jilly then clinched the top-10 win for the Orange and Blue at No. 4 singles with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 victory over TCU's Oliver Bonding, giving the Illini their second top-10 victory of the weekend.
MROZ CLAIMS B1G PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS FOR FIRST TIME (FEB. 25)
Fighting Illini senior William Mroz was named the Big Ten Player of the Week following his standout performances against North Carolina and UIC, the conference office announced on Feb. 25.
Mroz went 3-0 in singles and doubles play across the two matches, including a ranked win to clinch the Illini's victory over the Tar Heels.
The Florida native began the weekend with a commanding 6-2 triumph over UNC's Anthony Wright and Roan Jones at No. 2 doubles. Facing his first ranked opponent of the season in singles play, Mroz posted a 6-4, 6-4 decision to defeat No. 87 Ian Mayew and clinch Illinois' 4-1 win.
Later that day on Sunday, Mroz closed out his strong weekend with a 6-1 triumph against UIC's Henrique Sa/Eldin Nokic in the Illini's 6-1 victory over the Flames.
Mroz earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career, while he is the first Illini to achieve that distinction this season.
ILLINOIS BRINGS IN FIVE FRESHMEN IN HIGHLY TOUTED 2025 RECRUITING CLASS
The Fighting Illini brought in five freshmen for the 2025-26 season: David Bakonyi, Sasha Colleu, Gabriel Debru, Adam Jilly, and Hayden Jones. Illinois' 2025 recruiting class was ranked No. 2 in the nation by the Tennis Recruiting Network in May, though that ranking came prior to the high-profile signing of Debru in June.
One of the highest-rated players to ever compete collegiately, Debru hails from Grenoble, France, and holds career-high ATP rankings of No. 233 in singles and No. 273 in doubles. He has secured two singles titles in ATP Challenger Tour events, along with three singles titles on the ITF tour. He has also amassed one ATP Challenger title and two ITF titles in doubles play during his career. Still only 19 years old, Debru has competed three times in the singles qualifying rounds at Roland-Garros, one of the four Grand Slam events on the ATP Tour. Prior to his shift into professional tennis, Debru won the singles title at the 2022 Roland-Garros Junior Championships and soon became the top-ranked ITF junior player in the world in July 2022.
With a career-high ITF junior ranking of No. 8, Jones holds career-best ATP rankings of No. 970 in singles and No. 602 in doubles. He has earned wild-card entries into singles qualifying for the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025 and was named the 2024 Australian Tennis Junior Male Athlete of the Year.
Colleu, a blue-chip recruit from Florida, was the 16th-ranked American in the Tennis Recruiting Network's Class of 2025 rankings. Colleu has won two junior doubles titles, securing tournament wins at J100 Quebec City in September and J100 Mexico City in October. With five singles titles on the ITF juniors circuit, Colleu most recently claimed the singles tournament win at J100 Delray Beach on April 26.
David Bakonyi and Adam Jilly were part of the Illini's previously No. 9-ranked class in TRN's winter recruiting rankings. Bakonyi has a career-high ITF junior ranking of No. 182, along with three junior singles and 13 junior doubles titles. Jilly has a career-best ITF junior ranking of No. 111, amassing four junior singles and nine junior doubles titles. Having already played together in doubles on the junior circuit, Bakonyi and Jilly have teamed up for eight junior doubles titles, including three during the 2024 season.
COLLEU EARNS B1G FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK HONORS (JAN. 21)
Freshman Sasha Colleu was named the Big Ten Men's Tennis Freshman of the Week following the Fighting Illini's season opener on Jan. 16, the conference office announced on Jan. 21.
Colleu earned the distinction after winning both his singles and doubles matches in Illinois' season-opening contest against No. 7 Mississippi State at Atkins Tennis Center, during which Colleu made his dual debut.
The Miami native teamed up with fellow freshman Gabriel Debru to register a 6-0 victory over the Bulldogs' Niccolo Baroni and Mario Martinez Serrano on Court 2, helping the Orange and Blue claim the doubles point. In singles play, Colleu secured a straight-set victory over No. 34-ranked Bryan Hernandez Cortes. Breaking twice within the first three games, the freshman tallied a 6-3 decision in the opening frame before posting a bagel in the second set en route to his 6-3, 6-0 win.
Colleu's recognition marked the first Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors of his career.
MROZ NAMED TO B1G PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
Fighting Illini senior William Mroz was named to the Big Ten's Men's Tennis Players to Watch list, the conference office announced on Jan. 9.
He was one of 14 Big Ten student-athletes to secure a spot on the Big Ten Men's Tennis Players to Watch list. Mroz enters his final year at Illinois during the 2026 dual season.
During the Illini's 2024-25 campaign, the Florida native secured All-Big Ten Second Team status for the first time in his career, posting a 20-9 overall mark and a 5-1 conference record on the singles courts. He also found success in doubles, finishing the year with a 17-9 tally overall and a 7-2 record in doubles play in the Big Ten.
An Academic All-Big Ten honoree, he climbed as high as No. 30 in the ITA singles rankings, which came in the final rankings of the fall season. He ultimately closed the 2024-25 slate at No. 81.
MIYOSHI SECURES ITA SINGLES ALL-AMERICA HONORS IN NOVEMBER
Illinois senior Kenta Miyoshi secured ITA Singles All-America honors for the second consecutive season before closing his time at the NCAA Singles Championship in the third round on Thursday.
The Japan native made his second straight appearance at the NCAA Singles Championship, finishing with two ranked wins during his time at the USTA National Campus in Florida.
Miyoshi began his run with a straight-set win over UC Santa Barbara's No. 96-ranked Dominique Rolland in the opening round of singles action on Tuesday night. He then defeated No. 16 Edward Winter of Pepperdine in the second round in straight sets, helping him secure ITA All-American status and a spot in the third round for the second straight season.
His run ultimately came to a close in the third round with a two-set defeat to #22-ranked Trevor Svajda of SMU.
