The No. 19 Illinois men’s tennis team suffered its first two losses of the season this weekend when it fell to both No. 15 Duke and North Carolina on the road.

The Illini looked to uphold their undefeated record against Duke on Friday but went down early when Duke secured the doubles point. No. 4 ranked duo Ross Guignon and Tim Kopinski recorded the only doubles win for Illinois with a 7-4 tiebreaker win over Michael Redlicki and Jason Tahir.

Sophomore Jared Hiltzik, ranked No. 4 nationally in singles, evened the score at 1-1 when he overcame No. 29 Redlicki in three sets, 0-6, 6-2, 6-5(5). Junior Farris Gosea chalked up another point for the Illini with a three-set victory over Fred Saba, 5-6, 6-4, 6-4, but it would be the Illini’s last as the Blue Devils would win out the other four singles matches in a final match score of 5-2. Among the fallen Illini in singles was No. 46 junior Tim Kopinski, who was only able to pull the first set away from No. 52 Tahir, 6-2, 2-6, 2-6.

Traveling from Durham, N.C., to Chapel Hill, N.C. overnight, the Illini faced similiar results against North Carolina, falling 5-2 yet again. While Guignon and Kopinski won as a duo for the second day in a row, 6-1, the doubles point fell into enemy hands, and the Illini went down early.

This time, Hiltzik wasn’t able to hold on, as the Tarheels’ Brayden Schnur downed him in straight sets, 5-6(5), 4-6. Kopinski fell to No. 17 Ronnie Schneider in similiar fashion to Friday, taking the first set at 6-5(5) before losing the next two 2-6, 2-6. Gosea and junior Blake Bazarnik were the only to record points for the Illini singles.

Illinois will now head home for a string of three home matches, beginning this Wednesday against No. 22 Notre Dame.

J.J. can be reached at [email protected] and @Wilsonable07.