April 29, 2005

CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS - The top seeded and defending Big Ten champion Fighting Illini swept eighth seeded Michigan State on Friday (April 29) to make the semifinals of the 2005 Big Ten Conference Men's Tennis Championship. In the other semifinal of the morning, fifth seeded Northwestern outlasted number four seed Indiana for a 4-3 quarterfinal win.

 

The 4-0 win is Illinois' second over the Spartans this season. The Orange Blue won the schools regular season match up on April 9^th, 6-1. The victory is also Illinois' 50^th consecutive defeat over a Big Ten opponent dating back to a loss to Ohio State at the 2001 championship. The fifth seeded Wildcats avenged their April second loss to the Hoosiers by a 4-3 score.

 

Illinois and Northwestern will now play each other in Saturday's (April 30^th) first semifinal match at 10:00 a.m. central time at the Atkins Tennis Center on the Illinois campus. 

 

Illinois's top doubles squad of Pramod Dabir and Ryler DeHeart claimed an 8-5 win over Andy Formanczyk and Nick Rinks. Head coach Craig Tiley's squad also won at number three doubles with Evan Zeder and Brandon Davis triumphing, 8-2 over Anthony Stefani and Adam Monich.

 

In singles play, the Illini won the first set of all six matches. DeHeart dealt Formancyzk another loss with a 6-4, 6-0 win at number one singles. Chris Martin and Dabir sealed the victory for Illinois with wins over Adam Monich at number four singles (6-1, 6-2) and Joe McWilliams at number five (6-1, 7-5) respectively.

 

The weather would cause some havoc with Northwestern and Indiana's match.

 

Indiana won the doubles point with their second and third slotted tandems of Ryan Recht and John Stone and Mike McCarthy and Dara Mcloughlin registering wins. Recht and Stone won 8-3 over Christian Tempke and Adam Schaechterle while McCarthy and Mcloughlin won 8-6 over Justin Hoeveler and Willy Lock.

 

With a little more than one set complete in all of the singles matches, the rain forced the relocation of the match inside. After a short delay, Northwestern would tie the match up at 1-1 with Tommy Hanus's 7-5, 6-2 victory over Jakub Praibis at number one singles. Indiana would push ahead again when David Bubenicek put-away Chuck Perrin (7-5, 6-3) at number three singles. The Wildcats tied the match again after Tempke won a three-set thriller over Recht - 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

 

The two schools would split the number six and five singles matches with John Stone winning for IU and Matt Christian winning for Northwestern (6-4, 3-6, 6-6 (4). That left NU's Willy Lock and Indiana's Neil Kener to decide who would advance to play Illinois on Saturday. It took three sets, but in the end it was Lock who would prevail by a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 count.

 

 

Illinois 4, Michigan State 0

Doubles

1) (ILL) Pramod Dabir/Ryler DeHeart 8

    (MSU) Andy Formanczyk/Nick Rinks 5

2) (ILL) Chris Martin/Ryan Rowe 5 (DNF)

    (MSU) Michael Flowers/Cameron Marshall 4

3) (ILL) Evan Zeder/Brandon Davis 8

    (MSU) Anthony Stefani/Adam Monich 2

 

Singles

1) (ILL) Ryler DeHeart 6 6

    (MSU) Andy Formanczyk 4 0

2) (ILL) GD Jones 6 4

    (MSU) Cameron Marshall 5 1

3) (ILL) Ruben Gonzales 6 4

    (MSU) Nick Rinks 2 1

4) (ILL) Chris Martin 6 6

    (MSU) Adam Monich 1 2

5) (ILL) Pramod Dabir 6 7

    (MSU) Joe McWilliams 1 5

6) (ILL) Ryan Rowe 6 3

    (MSU) Mike Flowers 2 4

 

Northwestern 4, Indiana 3

Doubles

1) (IND) Jakub Praibis/Dima Ishtuganov 5 (DNF)

    (NW) Tommy Hanus/Chuck Perrin 7

2) (IND) Ryan Recht/John Stone 8

    (NW) Christian Tempke/Adam Schaechterle 3

3) (IND) Mike McCarthy/Dara Mcloughlin 8

    (NW) Justin Hoeveler/Willy Lock 6

 

Singles

1) (IND) #55 Jakub Praibis 5 2

    (NW) #91 Tommy Hanus 7 6

2) (IND) Ryan Recht 6 3 5

    (NW) Christian Tempke 2 6 7

3) (IND) David Bubenicek 7 6

    (NW) Chuck Perrin 5 3

4) (IND) Neil Kenner 2 6 2

    (NW) Willy Lock 6 3 6

5) (IND) Tom Bagnato 4 6 6(4)

    (NW) Matt Christian 6 3 7

6) (IND) John Stone 6 4 7

    (NW) Adam Schaechterle 3 6 6(3)

Big Ten Men's Tennis

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