Rutgers University
Illinois
Tennis Loses Tight Match with No. 68 Illinois
Mar 25 | Women's Tennis
EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. - Battling adverse conditions, Rutgers tennis lost a tight 4-3 match to No. 68 Illinois Friday afternoon. The Scarlet Knights (6-9, 0-5 Big Ten) captured three singles matches in the loss to the Illini (7-6, 1-1 Big Ten), as the dual came down to the last contest of the day.
Beginning with doubles play outdoors at the RU Tennis Complex, the match was quickly moved to the East Brunswick Racquet Club due to rain. Once at the EBRC, the Fighting Illini secured the doubles point with wins in the No.1 and No. 2 positions.
RU rallied back with three wins in singles play, as senior Gina Li (Hillsborough, N.J.) produced her second-straight Big Ten victory in the No. 1 singles position, this one coming against Louise Kwong. After falling behind 2-6 in the first set, Li rallied back with a 6-1 win in the second stanza, followed by a match-clinching 6-4 result in the deciding series. Li extended her winning streak to four with the victory.
Sophomore Chloe Lee (Albuquerque, N.M) and senior Mariam Zein (Sugarland, Texas) picked up their first conference wins of the season in the No. 2 and No. 4 positions, respectively. Lee won in straight sets with scores of 7-6 (5) and 7-6 (3). Zein captured a win in her first set with Jerricka Boone, 6-4, before falling in the second set, 2-6. Zein then had a dominate 6-2 victory in the third set for the final result.
With the score tied, 3-3, the match between junior Ksenija Tihomirova (Riga, Latvia) and Ines Vias served as the deciding contest at the No. 3 position. After sitting out RU's last match against Indiana, Tihomirova started strong with a 6-4 victory in the opening set. But Vias produced back-to-back wins to close out the dual victory for the Illini.
Rutgers returns to action on April 2, when the Scarlet Knights host Ohio State.
Doubles
1. Louise Kwong/Ines Vias (Ill.) def. Gina Li/Mariam Zein (RU), 6-2
2. Jerricka Boone/Maddie Baillon (Ill.) def. Ksenija Tihomirova/Chloe Lee (RU), 6-2
3. Alexis Casati/Daniela Pedraza-Novak (Ill.) vs. Lindsey Kayati/Farris Cunningham (RU), DNF
Singles
1. Gina Li (RU) def. Louise Kwong (Ill.), 2-6, 6-1, 6-4
2. Chloe Lee (RU) def. Alexis Casati (Ill.), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3)
3. Ines Vias (Ill.) def. Ksenija Tihomirova (RU), 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3
4. Mariam Zein (RU) def. Jerricka Boone (Ill.), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
5. Maddie Baillon (Ill.) def. Lindsey Kayati (RU), 7-5, 6-2
6. Jaclyn Switkes (Ill.) def. Farris Cunningham (RU), 6-0, 6-1
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