Kevin Anderson’s dramatic run through the draw at the Atkins Tennis Center Challenger tournament ended Thursday night, but two former Illini won their matches to set up an historic all-alumni semifinal.

In ten years, only one past or present Illinois player had ever made a semifinal at the Atkins Challenger – Amer Delic in 2004. But both he and Rajeev Ram won their quarterfinal matches Thursday night, and now the former NCAA champion teammates will square off to decide who will become the first Illinois alumnus ever to make a final at the annual event. And, Anderson very nearly joined them in the semis himself.

“It shows what this program is all about,” Delic said. “It’s not just making good college players, it’s about developing good players in the next level too.”

Anderson lost to professional Zack Fleishman 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to end what was already the best Atkins performance of any Illinois player, and the best run of Anderson’s career at any Challenger Series event.

“The last two weeks have been some of the best weeks of my life as far as proving to myself that I can compete with these guys,” Anderson said.

Fleishman seemed in control of the match after a relatively easy first set, but Anderson saved several break points early in the second and managed to stay close. When the college student stunned Fleishman by breaking his serve and closing out the second set, the pro-Illini crowd was sent into hysterics with high-speed chants of ILL-INI – led by Anderson’s own teammates.

Fleishman, who spent a year at UCLA before turning pro in 2000, said he felt like he was playing in a college match.

“When that chant started, I was thinking to myself, ‘This is why you play tennis,'” he said. “If I had known it was going to be like that, I would have put my blue-and-gold on.”

Anderson lost his serve early in the third set, but energized the crowd again by breaking right back. This time, though, the professional was too much, breaking Anderson’s serve again at 3-4 and closing out the match.

“Even in the second set I was down from the start, saving break point after break point,” Anderson said. “I could’ve been down on myself but I kept fighting. He just played some really good points.”

Even before Anderson fell, the alumni had ensured there would be an Illinois presence in the semifinals.

Delic beat Brazilian Andre Sa, a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist, 5-7, 6-0, 6-4, and Ram took out Nikita Kryvonos, a 20-year-old American qualifier, by a score of 6-4, 6-1.

For the second time in two days, Delic had to recover from a dropped set against a tough opponent.

Delic dominated on his serve early in the first set and had several chances to take the lead, but could not capitalize on any of them.

Then, with Sa ahead 6-5 and the set seemingly headed for a tiebreak, Delic played a few loose points to fall into a one-set hole.

“It was a little frustrating in the first set, having the break points but not converting,” Delic said. “I struggled a bit with my racquets, one was loose and the other was looser, and I had trouble keeping the ball in play. In the second set I finally found the best option, and it was night and day.”

Delic came back in the second, breaking Sa’s serve three times and spraying winners from both sides of the court to turn the set into a 6-0 rout.

Sa had two break points early in the third set, but Delic saved the first with an ace and the second with a spectacular cross-court backhand off a dead sprint.

The shot drew a triumphant shout from Delic, who went on to easily break Sa’s serve in the next game and take his first lead of the match.

Though Sa was able to break back later, Delic continued to pound away at the Brazilian’s serve and broke him again to take the match.

“When you have a break point … and end up with a winner, that gives you confidence,” Delic said. “That gave me momentum going into the next game and I was able to break his serve. I had a little hiccup after that, but I kept on him.”

By comparison, Ram’s match was less climactic. After a tough three-set win the night before, he cruised to a 6-4, 6-1 win over qualifier Nikita Kryvonos. Kryvonos matched Ram serve-for-serve early in the first set, but could not keep up with the former Illini.

Ram broke Kryvonos’s serve once to take the first set, then rolled to an easy win in the second.

In doubles, another member of the 2003 national champions made it to the Challenger semis. Brian Wilson, playing with Sa just hours after his loss to Delic, defeated the Serbian team of Ilia Bozoljac and Dusan Vemic.

The Serbians played unconventionally and at times hardly played at all, acting disinterested and even aiming for Wilson and Sa instead of the court.

Wilson and Sa pulled out the match in straight sets, in spite of – or because of – their opponents’ bizarre behavior.

“I’ve made the semis here before, but I’ve never won it, so it would be great to win it. And hopefully Raj or Amer can take the title so we can have a sweep.”