The Illini (12-8) ended their losing streak in the Big Ten season with a win over the Wisconsin Badgers (1-17) this past Sunday. After a three-match losing streak, Illinois benefited from lesser competition for a get-right weekend providing two victories.
Dynamic senior duo Hunter Heck and Lucas Horve set the tempo quickly with a win over Michael Minasyan and Gabriel Huber. The strong Illini doubles continued the wreckage and clinched the doubles point with junior Mathis Debru and sophomore Kenta Miyoshi.
Onto singles, Wisconsin came fighting back as Debru took a loss to Collin Beduhn (0-6, 4-6). No. 83 Kenta Miyoshi put the Illini back on the scoreboard as he defeated Matthew Fullerton (7-5, 6-4).
With just two more wins needed to secure the match, the Illini never gave Wisconsin a chance to come back. Freshman Jeremy Zhang won two difficult, seven-game sets, defeating Jason Hildebrandt in the tiebreaker (7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2)).
Sophomore William Mroz gave Illinois the game and clinched the match in a three-set thriller against Tomas Zlatohlavek. After Mroz won the first set (7-5), Zlatohlavek came back and tied the match 1-1. However, Mroz was able to find the winning strategy and won the match (6-3).
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“We are learning a lot through this road trip,” head coach Brad Dance said after the match. “It’s about solving the puzzle. You gotta pay attention. Alex Petrov did a great job today of making adjustments. We can be better, but anytime you win on the road, the guys have to show toughness.”
The Illini moved on to 12-8 overall for the season and hit .500 with a record of 3-3 in the Big Ten season.
With the Big Ten tournament coming up from April 25-28, the Illini must continue to add up wins and pick up a good seeding. Even though the season has started slow, this win might set the pace for the rest of the month. The last Illinois Big Ten win came in 2021 when Hunter Heck was a freshman. As the captain in his last season, hopefully, he can lead the team to the trophy.
Jeremy Zhang, an upcoming freshman, showcased his potential with a strong display of perseverance throughout his win. Zhang has benefited from upperclassmen guidance this year. As he continues to develop and become a key player in Illinois men’s tennis, his improvement will be key going forward.
Up next, Illinois returns to the Atkins Tennis Center to host a doubleheader against Northwestern and Saint Louis University on April 13.
