Illinois women’s tennis went 1-1 this weekend in Big Ten play, beating Purdue at home on Friday before falling just short at Penn State on Sunday. The Illini are now 6-2 in the conference, placing them in fourth place with three matches to go in the regular season.

Illinois returned to Atkins Tennis Center on Friday. The team went 2-0 on the road the previous week, taking down both Iowa and Nebraska. Keeping the strong form rolling, the Illini winning streak reached five following the win against Purdue.

Friday in Urbana kicked off to a great start for Illinois, who earned the hard-fought doubles point on Court 3 as the duo of junior Emily Casati and freshman Kasia Treiber defeated Carmen Guevara and Seira Shimizuas 6-1 in a dominant showing. Purdue got one back on Court 2 as junior duo Josie Frazier and Ashley Yeah were beaten 6-2 by Tara Katarina Milic and Rut Galindo but the clinching point was won on Court 1 as the dynamic duo of freshman Megan Heuser and sophomore Kate Duong took down N. Wolf Gasparin and Csilla Fodor 6-3 to give the early lead to the Illini. Illinois 1-0 Purdue.

Singles play saw Heuser continue to apply the pressure on the Boilermakers, as she added the Illini’s second point after taking down Milic on Court 3 by a commanding 6-2, 6-0 scoreline. Duong, who had been anticipating her rematch with Purdue on Court 1, was unable to rally against Fodor and lost 6-2, 6-4. Another consecutive point was put on the board for the Boilermakers after Illini Casati was defeated by Shimizu 7-5, 6-1 on Court 6. Illinois 2-2 Purdue.

The Illini managed to regain the lead thanks to Yeah on Court 2, who triumphed in three sets over Guevara by a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 score. The fourth and final point of the contest was won by Treiber on Court 4. Treiber claimed victory over Galindo after rallying in the final two sets 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-1. Senior Shivani Ingle had her match on Court 5 go unfinished, and was just beginning the third set against Larranaga 4-6, 6-4, 0-1 when stoppage was called. Final score: Illinois 4, Purdue, 2.

After a day off it was time for the Illini to take on the Nittany Lions in University Park on Sunday. Illinois had a rougher time in Pennsylvania, and started out unable to get a doubles win. Casati/Treiber fell to Alexandra Nielsen and Gabby O’Gorman 6-0 on Court 3, followed by Frazier/Yeah unable to pull one out on Court 2 against Olivia Ryan and Yvonne Zuffova, losing 6-3.

Court 1 saw Heuser/Duong have their match called, but were on the verge of victory against Sofiya Chekhlystova and Karly Friedland, the score reading 5-3 in favor of the Illini at the time of stoppage. Illinois 0-1 Penn State.

An extremely tight round of singles play kicked off with Penn State’s second point as Frazier fell to O’Gorman 6-1, 6-1 on Court 3. Yeah managed to get one back and put Illinois on the board with a Court 2 victory over Zuffova, winning 6-3, 7-6 (7-0). This was quickly followed up by Heuser, who leveled the match at two apiece after defeating Friedland 6-3, 7-5 on Court 4. Illinois 2-2 Penn State.

The Nittany Lions regained the lead as Chekhlystova took down Duong 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 on Court 1, but the Illini answered back once again thanks to Treiber, who won over Nielsen 6-2, 6-4 on Court 5. It would all come down to a tense finale on the last court. Illinois 3-3 Penn State.

Unfortunately for the Illini, the final, clinching point would be won by the Nittany Lions as Ingle was unable to rally against Lebedeva on Court 6, losing 6-0, 6-1. The tie-breaking point belonged to the home team in a heartbreaking finish for the Illini. Final score: Illinois 3, Penn State 4.

Even with Sunday’s setback the Illini are still in position to compete for the Big Ten conference title. The final three matches left in the season against Northwestern, Michigan and Michigan State will be huge as Illinois looks to break into the top three and win it all.

The Wildcats and Wolverines, in particular, currently sit in second and third in the conference, respectively. Should Illinois go perfect in this last stretch, it will be in the first or second spot by the end of the regular season.

Illinois (13-7 overall, 6-2 B1G) will be in action next Sunday at noon in Urbana to take on Northwestern (12-6 overall, 7-1 B1G), in what will be its final home match of the 2022 regular season.

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