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No. 1 Illinois Knocks Off Butler, 4-0
May 10, 2003
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, ILL. - The Fighting Illini proved why they are among the nation's best as they defeated the Butler men's tennis team, 4-0, today in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at U of I's Atkin's Tennis Center. Illinois, which is ranked first in the nation, kept its undefeated record intact, improving to 27-0. The Bulldogs end their season with an 18-7 ledger. It was the second straight year Illinois had blanked Butler 4-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. "Without a doubt, Illinois is as good as its ranking," said Butler head coach Jason Suscha. "They gave us no breathing room today. They don't beat you with flashy shots, but they beat you with a barrage of good shots. They apply constant pressure which we just don't ever see throughout our regular season schedule. Each player, one through six, on their team is consistantly good, which is a testament to coach Craig Tiley's recruiting." Illinois captured the doubles point, as Aubrey Annan and Mike Weaver fell to Phil Stolt and Chris Martin, 8-2, at the No. 3 position. At No. 1 doubles, Kevin Gill and Brandon Gill then dropped an 8-3 decision to Amer Delic and Michael Calkins, who are ranked eleventh nationally. Illinois' Rajeev Ram and Brian Wilson held a slim 7-6 lead against Peter Voelz and Andrew Bartish at the No. 2 spot before their match was abandoned. The Illini didn't let up in singles action, as Pramod Debir desposed of Adam Bordow, 6-0, 6-0 at the No. 6 spot to put the hosts up 2-0. Ram, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, then defeated Voelz, 6-1, 6-2, in No. 2 singles and Ryler DeHeart sealed Illinois' trip to the second round with a 6-3, 6-3 victory against Annan at the No. 5 position. Brandon Gill (No. 2) was down 6-2, 5-3, in his match against Stolt and Scott Newmark (No. 4) had fallen behind 6-4, 5-3 in his battle against Martin before both matches were abandoned. Despite losing the first set 7-5, Kevin Gill held a commanding 4-1 lead in the second set against Wilson, who is ranked twelfth in the nation, before Illinois captured its fourth point. "I am incredibly proud of our effort today," added Suscha. "We feel good about how we played and feel even better because we return six of our eight players." |
