Heading into its final home weekend of the season, Illinois (13-9, 6-5) was still reeling after two 0-4 sweep losses. The losing streak extended to three games as No. 4 Ohio State (22-2, 11-0) got the better of Illinois for the second time this year. In their first outdoor home dual of the season Friday, the Illini narrowly escaped a sweep against the Buckeyes.
There is no rest for teams in the new Big Ten schedule as Illinois faced Penn State (12-13, 0-11) Saturday. The Illini rounded up a big 4-0 win against the Nittany Lions on senior night, earning their fifth sweep of the season.
Ohio State 2, Illinois zero
Illinois’ record against top-10 teams dropped to 0-3 after the loss Friday. Illinois was outplayed in almost every department. The doubles loss, in which the Illini lost 6-1 and 6-4 on courts one and three, put them on the back foot from the get-go.
“We are not serving well on doubles and we’re not returning well on doubles,” said head coach Brad Dancer. “When we go back and look at the film, we’re going to see it. If you don’t do those things well then that’s where you end up. It’s a challenge for those guys to be the type of partner they need to be out on the court. So, we have flexibility with our teams and right now that comes down to serving and returning, we’re not doing those things well. It’s basic tennis.”
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Doubles struggles have been hard for the Illini to overcome this season. Similar to a lot of their duals this year, unfinished matches could’ve turned the tide if not for the initial one-point deficit. Illinois was competitive in singles on courts two and four at the time of abandonment. It needs to figure this out before the postseason.
Illinois’ only positive was a glaring one — junior Kenta Miyoshi’s singles win. No. 16 Miyoshi took down Ohio State’s No. 10 sophomore Aidan Kim. Miyoshi took care of business emphatically with a straight-set 6-3, 6-2 win. In Illinois’ matchup with Ohio State earlier this season, Miyoshi lost to Kim. He made sure to get revenge on Friday.
This was Miyoshi’s 11th straight-set win of the season. His singles record now improves to 13-4 as he continues to lead the Illinois singles lineup.
“Spring is all about winning as a team,” Miyoshi said. “But once I go out there to play my own singles match, I’m just trying to take care of my own business. Just go out there and play my game and make my opponent uncomfortable. Even though I’m not really happy with the level that I’m producing right now. But I think I’m doing a good job of engaging the opponent and playing the best that I can that day.”
As easy as it gets
Against Penn State on Saturday, the initiative to fight was clear right from the doubles matches. Illinois dominated on courts one and three, winning 6-1 and 6-3 to grab the doubles point. Miyoshi teamed up with senior Mathis Debru once again to earn the duo’s first doubles win of the season. Freshman Max Mroz struck back with just his third career doubles win.
“To be fair, winning the doubles point helped a lot to build some confidence,” Mroz said. “Regardless of losing yesterday, today’s another day and (I) went in, reset, new mindset and went straight to play.”
The early 1-0 lead influenced a gritty singles performance. On a windy Saturday evening, the crowd was able to see some clinical tennis throughout the lineup. Three straight-set wins set up the victory for Illinois.
Relentless in singles
Illinois started by winning the first set on courts one, two, three, five and six. But it was a much more ruthless start on courts one, three and five. Miyoshi began his first set 4-1 before going on to win 6-3. Both redshirt freshman Zach Viiala and Debru got off to blistering 5-0 starts in the first set.
More importantly, Saturday evening told a story of spirited comebacks for Illinois. After winning the first set 6-1, Mroz found himself down 1-3 early on. He kept his composure and went on to win five out of the next six games, eventually claiming a very impressive singles win on court six.
“I was just keeping it simple,” said Mroz. “I’m just putting the ball on, I’m digging points out. Put some pressure on him. I hit a winner or something, I don’t remember. I was here and there, I was patient, I was aggressive. And then one of the alums gave me some advice and that helped out a lot, it helped out tons.”
Even though Viiala’s match was unfinished, his ability to stay in the game was on display. After the first set, his opponent left the court during a break. Viiala didn’t sit down, he got up and began jumping ropes. Staying in the moment is crucial, and Viiala does just that.
Senior night
Debru finished his final home dual for Illinois in style with a straight-set 6-1, 6-1 singles win. His coverage of the court was on full display as he recovered wide returns into points and kept the game going. His close-to-the-court play was critical in his winning multiple games at a stretch.
“I was so glad that he got that win tonight,” Dancer said. “It was an exciting moment for him. The things you think about Mathis (Debru) are culture, identity and competitive spirit and he’s bringing that all the time.”
His teammates were full of appreciation for him. When asked about Debru’s impact, Mroz described how unfortunate it is that he is only able to work with him for one semester.
“I love that guy, I love him so much,” said Mroz. “When I started in Arizona, I was roommates with him, we just bonded so fast. He’s an awesome person to be around, an awesome leader. He’s just so understanding of everything.”
Wild wild west
The final weekend of the regular season is on-deck. Illinois embarks on a treacherous west coast road trip to face Oregon (11-12, 3-8) and Washington (15-6, 7-4). Illinois’ away record has been a lowly 3-7 this season. However, the Illini will want to take this weekend’s momentum into the final duals of the season.
“There’s no question about it,” Dancer said. “We got to be ready to play on Friday against Oregon, period. In one way or another, it’s a long, tough trip. This is the reality of the conference right now. So, we got to figure out a way to do it and be gritty and tough.”
The Ducks and Huskies are good opponents to test out the Illini’s battle readiness before the postseason.
