Coming off two 1-1 weekends, Illinois (2-2) takes on Clemson (8-0) and Notre Dame (8-1) in a doubleheader on Saturday. The Illini will kick off their season’s first home dual against the Tigers at 11 a.m. at the Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana. They will then tackle the Fighting Irish the same day at 6 p.m.
Illinois has struggled in doubles so far this year. Despite No. 30 redshirt junior William Mroz and sophomore Jeremy Zhang’s stellar undefeated run, it has only one win this season. With three wins and one unfinished match, they have held Illinois’ doubles lineup together. But a two-week break and a fresh start at home gives the Illini a chance to rekindle their game.
First opponent: Clemson Tigers
The Tigers have started 8-0 and have demolished oppositions. In four of their duals, they didn’t concede a single match. In three others, they didn’t allow more than two opposition wins. They have been fierce so far, justifying their name.
No. 3 doubles: Mroz/Zhang vs. Gales/Abderrahman
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Alongside being undefeated this season, Clemson is dangerously good in doubles. In eight duals, it has only lost three doubles matches.
The Tigers’ star duo has been junior Romain Gales and sophomore Wissam Abderrahman. They boast a record of 6-1 in doubles this season. In Clemson’s last dual, Abderrahman teamed up with redshirt senior Matt Pitts and brought back a victory for their team.
They will most likely face Illinois’ duo of Mroz and Zhang. The duo have been brilliant this season, but this will be one of their toughest tests. In their three wins, Mroz and Zhang haven’t allowed their opponents to win more than four games. It will be an exciting match to kick off Saturday morning.
No. 1 doubles: Illinois vs. Vukadin/Smith
Clemson’s second most successful duo consists of sophomore Noa Vukadin and senior Maxwell Smith, with a record of 5-1 in doubles. They have played in the No. 1 doubles match every dual this season. Three out of their five wins have been ominous, allowing their opponents to score only zero, two and two points.
Illinois has shuffled its duo for the No. 1 doubles match this season. The duo of redshirt sophomore Tyler Bowers and redshirt freshman Zach Viiala have played three duals, while junior Kenta Miyoshi and senior Mathis Debru have played one.
Illinois has only won one No. 1 doubles match this season and will be heavily challenged by Vukadin and Smith.
No. 14 Miyoshi vs. No. 51 Vukadin
The singles round in the Clemson dual will be headlined by the No. 1 singles match. Here, Illinois top-15 star Miyoshi will face off against Clemson’s Vukadin, who is 5-1 in singles matches coming into Saturday’s fixture. Miyoshi is 2-1 with one unfinished match.
Only two of Vukadin’s matches have gone to the third set since his explosive playing style helps him stack up points. On the other hand, one of Miyoshi’s wins came down to a tiebreaker in the second set, where he edged ahead. A good doubles performance will help push Miyoshi across the line in an afternoon singles matchup.
Second opponent: Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish have matched their best start to a season since 2019, succeeding in an extended home run. They come to Champaign for their first away dual of the season.
Illinois vs. Dominko/Nad
Notre Dame’s headliner duo consists of junior Sebastian Dominko and freshman Peter Nad. They boast a record of 4-1 in duals, and they have been victorious with other partners as well. They played at the No. 1 doubles spot for the first five duals, but the Fighting Irish have since changed their lineup.
The mystery extends to the Illini as well since this will be their first doubleheader. It is unclear if all of the primary roster will partake in the second dual.
Dominko and Nad will likely play in the first or second doubles match and will face either Debru and Miyoshi or Bowers and Viiala. Notre Dame is a fierce opponent on the doubles court. It has only lost five matches in nine duals and has only conceded points twice.
Singles: Illinois vs. Nad
Nad is an enviable 7-1 in singles this season for Notre Dame. Only two of his eight matches have come down to the third set. Playing in the third, fourth and sometimes fifth singles match, Nad has been the guaranteed win for Notre Dame, powering its 8-1 run. He comes to Champaign on the back of four dominant victories.
Illinois has also been good in singles. Both its wins this season were powered by routine singles victories. Zhang has not won a singles match this season, but playing at the third singles spot, he may face off against Nad. It will be a challenging match but a good opportunity for Zhang if he gets the nod.
Doubleheader Saturday
It is set to be a box office Saturday for Illinois’ first home dual of the season. It has been a fair 2-2 start as the Illini look to grab two vital wins to push their momentum forward.
