URBANA, Ill. – No. 34 Illinois won the doubles point and tied the dual at 2-2 but No. 5 Michigan would claim the 4-2 win from Atkins Tennis Center on Sunday. The Pack Atkins event marked the first time the Orange and Blue have played outside at home this spring.
Illinois and Michigan were two of the three unbeaten teams remaining in conference play entering Sunday’s match. With the loss, the Orange and Blue are now 12-6 (4-1 B1G) overall. Michigan moves to 15-3 (7-0 B1G) with the decision.
Michigan’s No. 76-ranked duo Fliegner/Jones won the first doubles match to finish at No. 2 – a 6-1 decision over Josie Frazier and Emily Casati. From there, No. 28 Kate Duong and Megan Heuser won four-straight games to secure an upset of No. 2 Brown/Miller. All eyes turned to No. 3 doubles, featuring Violeta Martinez and Kida Ferrari for the Illini. The UI duo battled back from being down 5-2 to secure a 7-6 (9) win and clinch the doubles point for Illinois. In the tiebreaker, Ferrari and Martinez trailed 9-8 before winning three-straight points.
Illinois secured its 11th doubles point of the season against Michigan. The Wolverines have dropped just four doubles points through 18 dual matches this season. The Orange and Blue have taken the doubles point off Michigan in back-to-back meetings.
When working together, Duong and Heuser are up to a 21-3 overall record, 13-1 mark in dual play and 4-0 reading in B1G contests. Frazier and Casati are now 5-6 when teaming up on the season – all in dual matches – and 2-1 mark in Big Ten play. Martinez and Ferrari now own a 2-1…
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