WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. ââ'¬" The Purdue men's tennis team opened Big Ten play with a 4-3 victory over No. 23 Illinois on Wednesday. The mark is both the team's first win over a ranked opponent this season and keeps the Boilermakers' undefeated home record intact ââ'¬" now at nine.
To start, Purdue also extended its eight-match home win-streak in doubles. Athell Bennett and Gergely Madarasz made quick work of Zeke Clark and Gui Gomes on court three, winning 6-2 in the first match off. Ricky Medinilla and Benjamin Ugarte also defeated Alex Jesse and Aleks Kovacevic by the same score.
The Boilermakers jumped out to a fast 4-0 start on court two, before Illinois could claim a point on serve. At 4-1, the teams then both held to advance the score to 5-2. Tied at 40-40 in the next game, Ugarte hit a service winner to secure the match with no-ad scoring in effect.
While Purdue easily clinched the doubles point against Illinois, the Boilermakers faced much more opposition from the visiting team in singles ââ'¬" led by the play of No. 23 Aron Hiltzik and No. 29 Aleks Vukic. Each picked up the first set 6-4 against Mararasz on court two and Medinilla on court one respectively.
Meanwhile, Purdue earned first set victories on three of the four lower courts; its only drop at the number five position in heated tiebreak that Kovacevic barely claimed over Dominik Sochurek 7-6 (7-5).
Stephan Koenigsfest went on to win his second set as well, besting Julian Childers 6-3, 6-1 on court four to move the team score to 2-0. Ugarte followed suit with his 6-4, 6-2 win over Gomes on court three.
At 3-0 Purdue, Medinilla came back to win his second set 6-1, forcing a third against Vukic. Madaras, however, fell short in his comeback, dropping the second set and match 6-4, 7-5 to Hiltzik. Sochurek was also defeated in straight sets ââ'¬" unable to bounce back from his lengthy first ââ'¬" losing 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 to Kovacevic.
The Boilermakers then looked to Athell Bennett on court six, as Medinilla was well behind in his third set. The freshman battled with Noe Khlif to six all in the second, forcing a seventh-game tiebreak. The two players continued to trade points till Bennett claimed a 4-2 lead, which he improved to 5-2. Khlif worked his way back in, though, after Bennett sent a volley into the net and double faulted on serve. The Boilermaker kept his composure, however, watching the Fighting Illini send a ball into the net and the last deep. The 7-4 mark clinched the tiebreak for Bennett and the team match for Purdue.
The 9-5 Boilermakers continue Big Ten competition on the road Sunday with a noon ET match at No. 37 Indiana.