The No. 16 Illinois men’s tennis team lost a heartbreaking match to No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday afternoon by a 5-2 score. Behind an electric crowd at Atkins Tennis Center, the Illini (13-7, 5-2 Big Ten) looked to be poised for an upset, but the Buckeyes (27-1, 7-0) were too much to handle. Ohio State took the doubles point, but Illinois fought back before the Buckeyes knocked the Illini down for good. Ryan Rowe, ranked No. 12 in singles, junior Marc Spicijaric and freshman Waylon Chin each lost in three-set matches, while No. 94 Billy Heiser topped No. 112 Drew Eberly, 6-2, 6-4. Senior Brandon Davis defeated Shuhei Uzawa in an intense match, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Illinois have a quick turnaround after the loss, as the Illini host No. 38 Indiana on Sunday at noon.

“It’s a great chance for the seniors to have a big going out match,” Dancer said. “We wanted something more to be on the line, but we also have to keep ourselves going and make sure we’re positioning ourselves for seeding.”