April 21, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 61 men's tennis team suffered a loss to No. 31 Illinois in the final conference match of the regular season. The Boilermakers fell 5-2 on the Schwartz Family Outdoor Courts at the Schwartz Tennis Center in a match much closer than the final score.
Purdue (16-11, 3-8 B1G) lost for just the third time this season when winning the doubles point. The Illini struck first with an 8-4 win at No. 1 as Alex Jesse and Jared Hiltzik beat Szymon Tatarczyk, 8-4. Purdue responded with come-from-behind wins at Nos. 2 and 3. Pawel Poziomski and Mark Kovacs were first as the duo took down Tim Kopinski and Brian Page, 8-6, at No. 3. Aaron Dujovne and Diego Acosta clinched the point with a 9-8 (2) win at No. 2 over Bruno Abdelnour and Farris Gosea.
Illinois (15-9, 8-3) took control in singles. Gosea beat Krocsko at No. 5, 6-1, 6-2. Next was the No. 31 singles player in the country, Hiltzik. He beat Kovacs at No. 1, 6-2, 6-4. Jesse brought the Illini within a point of victory with a win at No. 6. He beat Evan Hawkins, 6-2, 6-1.
Stephen Hoh clinched the match in a three-set thriller against Poziomski. Hoh won, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. The match wasn't without its controversy as Poziomski trailed 4-2 in the final set and faced a game point. A ball was called out which Poziomski challenged. The call was overturned and called in which would have brought the score to deuce. However, after an argument from Hoh and the Illinois coach, the overrule was reversed and the point went to Hoh which gave him the game. From there, Hoh went on to win the final set and clinch the match.
The score was pushed to 5-1 with a three-set win at No. 3 where Abdelnour held on to beat Acosta, 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-5. Tatarczyk and Kopinski wrapped up the match at No. 2. Tatarczyk held on to win, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 7-6 (4).
Purdue falls to 10-85-1 in the all-time series after the four hour and 50 minute match.
The Boilermakers return to action on Tuesday for the final matches of the regular season. Purdue will host Vincennes in a doubleheader with matches beginning at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.