URBANA, Ill. – Illinois women’s tennis dropped another close match to an ACC foe on Sunday as Notre Dame’s doubles point made the difference in the 4-3 Illini loss. UI saw Ashley Yeah, Josie Frazier and Megan Heuser all pick up singles wins in the setback.
“It was certainly another tough result for our group today,” opened head coach Evan Clark. “The toughest thing has been we’ve been close against three top-15 teams but haven’t been able to get over the hump yet. I’m disappointed for our squad, as they do so many things well, but we have to be cleaner in managing some matches and be more organized upstairs during big moments. Again, I love this group. They are special and they are going to get to four in a big match sooner rather than later.”
Illinois moves to 2-3 on the season with the loss to Notre Dame, a team receiving votes in the latest top-25 poll.
Doubles play finished in sequential order with No. 19 Kate Duong and Megan Heuser picking up another win as a pair. No. 2 and 3 doubles, however, would go in the favor of the Irish to give Notre Dame the doubles point.
Duong and Heuser are now 4-1 in dual decisions at No. 1 doubles this year and 12-3 overall when working together this season.
At No. 4 singles, Megan Heuser would be the first to finish and even the match up at 1-1. Heuser picked up the ranked 6-2, 6-1 victory over No. 102 Nii Ghosh. In the second set after Ghosh won the first game, Heuser responded with six-straight games won for the final margin.
Heuser is now 3-2 in dual matches and 8-6 on the season.
Courts 1, 5 and 6 would finish next, respectively, and all go in favor of Notre Dame to clinch the match. The teams would play through, and the Illini would win the remaining two singles matches.
After dropping a first-set tiebreaker at No. 3, Josie Frazier battled back to win set two 6-4 and take the super breaker 10-6. Frazier’s win moved her to 2-2 in dual play and 6-6 on the campaign.
No. 70-ranked Ashley Yeah closed out the match with a comeback victory. She won 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Yeah is now 2-1 in dual play this season and 8-3 overall.
FULL RESULTS
DOUBLES
No. 1 – No. 19 Kate Duong/Megan Heuser def. Freeman/Pozder (ND) – 6-2
No. 2 – Andreach/Beckman (ND) def. Emily Casati/Josie Frazier – 6-2
No. 3 – Hanford/Yellayi (ND) def. Ashley Yeah/Violeta Martinez –…
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