Two weeks into the spring season, the Illini have played two dual matches and split the pair 1-1. However, Illinois has a much busier schedule this weekend, hosting Georgia Tech (3-2) and Colorado (3-0).
They will open the weekend on Friday at 3 p.m. against Georgia Tech, then Colorado at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Illinois will host both teams at the Atkins Tennis Center.
Calm under pressure
Last weekend, freshman Ariel Madatali clinched an Illinois win, 4-2, against Northwestern (3-1). On top of the blue-chip’s impressive composure on court four, Illinois was 4-0 in tiebreakers. The first came in doubles when junior Violeta Martinez and sophomore Alice Xu fought for a 7-6(3) win that gave Illinois the doubles point.
In singles, the stakes were even higher for No. 109 junior McKenna Schaefbauer and senior Megan Heuser. The Illini dropped their first sets on all four other courts while Schaefbauer and Heuser played tiebreakers. However, Illinois’ top singles players persevered to avoid deepening the deficit. Senior Kida Ferrari also won the second set of her match in a tiebreaker but was ultimately defeated 6-3, 6-7(2) and 6-4.
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Clutch plays to secure the doubles point, plus wins from Schaefbauer and Heuser, set up an impactful clinch from Madatali. Across the board, Illinois stepped up when it mattered the most.
“We’ve been really stressing composure and balance,” said head coach Evan Clark. “I told the team they did a really good job, and that’s the difference. The level of tennis is pretty equal all around the board, so we really stress composure, balance (and) maturity in those situations.”
Yellow Jackets, Buffaloes
Illinois’ first opponent of the weekend has not traveled well this season. In their three home matches, the Yellow Jackets are undefeated, 3-0. However, they are 0-2 in their away and neutral matches. This is a big advantage for the hosting Illini, who were 11-1 at home last season.
Colorado has fewer flaws in its record, sitting at 3-0 overall, with one win on the road.
Similar to its match with Northwestern, the ITA rankings give Illinois an edge in singles, while Georgia Tech and Colorado each have a formidable doubles pairing. The only ranked singles players across all three teams are No. 109 Schaefbauer and No. 111 Martinez.
The only ranked doubles pairings belong to Georgia Tech — No. 54 junior Alejandra Cruz and sophomore Given Roach — and Colorado — No. 21 junior Anya Nelson and sophomore Ema Bubalo. Even still, Illinois has won the doubles point in both matches compared to 3-2 for Georgia Tech and 2-1 for Colorado.
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