STILLWATER, Okla. – The Drake University men's tennis team suffered a tough 4-0 loss to Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater, Okla.
 
"We got out to a great start on all three courts. Overall, the doubles play was where we wanted it but came up a point or two short from taking the doubles point," said Drake head coach Davidson Kozlowski.
 
The Bulldogs started strong with Vinny Gillespie and Tom Hands earning a 6-3 win over Vuk Budic and Aleks Vukic at No. 2. The Illini's Gui Gomes and Aron Hiltzik managed to slip past Ben Stride and Ben Wood, 6-4 at No. 3.
 
In the deciding match for the point, Bayo Philips and Barny Thorold were up a break, but Alex Jesse and Aleks Kovacevic broke back and headed into a tiebreaker. Jesse and Kocacevic won the first four points of the breaker and went on to win it 7-2 to secure the doubles point for the Illini.
 
Kovanevic gave Illinois a 2-0 lead with a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 3 singles, while Noe Khlif won 6-3, 6-4 at No. 4 to put the Illini up 3-0.
 
The Bulldogs' Gillespie, Hands and Thorold gave Drake a chance by winning their first sets but all three matches ultimately went unfinished, as Gomes clinched the match with a 7-6, 7-5 win at No. 2 for Illinois.
 
"We were in every set and we were up on courts. We felt we were right there and let this one slip a bit and lost an opportunity today to knock off a very respected Illinois team," said Kozlowski. "We got everyone coming back and I'm hoping this team can use this as motivation for a fantastic season next year."
 
Drake finishes the season 17-12 after making its 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history.
 
#25 Illinois 4, Drake 0
May 12, 2017 at Stillwater, Oklahoma (Greenwood Tennis Center) 

Singles competition

1. #41 Aron Hiltzik (ILL) vs. #87 Gillespie, Vinny (DU) 4-6, 7-6, unfinished

2. Gui Gomes (ILL) def. Stride, Ben (DU) 7-6, 7-5

3. Aleks Kovacevic (ILL) def. Philips, Bayo (DU) 6-2, 6-4

4. Noe Khlif (ILL) def. MacGeoch, Calum (DU) 6-3, 6-4

5. Zeke Clark (ILL) vs. Hands, Tom (DU) 6-7, 6-2, 1-0, unfinished

6. Vuk Budic (ILL) vs. Thorold, Barnaby (DU) 4-6, 6-4, 1-1, unfinished

 

Doubles competition

1. Alex Jesse/Aleks Kovacevic (ILL) def. Philips, Bayo/Thorold, Barnaby (DU) 7-6 (7-2)

2. Hands, Tom/Gillespie, Vinny (DU) def. Vuk Budic/Aleks Vukic (ILL) 6-3

3. Gui Gomes/Aron Hiltzik (ILL) def. Stride, Ben/Wood, Ben (DU) 6-4

 

Match Notes

Drake 17-12; 3-0 MVC

Illinois 17-11; 8-3 Big Ten; National ranking #25

Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (3,4,2)

T-2:33 A-63