Broncos Suffer Loss To Illinois In NCAA Tournament First Round
URBANA, Ill. - The Western Michigan men's tennis team fell 4-0 to the No. 15-ranked University of Illinois Friday afternoon during the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Western Michigan finished its successful season with an 18-9 overall record while making its 13th appearance in the national tournament.
The Broncos put up a strong fight during doubles competition despite dropping the point. WMU's top pair of Jannik Opitzand Kennosuke Nouchi won 6-3 prior to the Brown & Gold falling on courts two and three.
Illinois won at the one, two, and five singles spots to clinch the match. Nick Schnobel and Matej Svjetlicic both won their first sets, but had their matches go unfinished.
#15 Illinois 4, Western Michigan 0
Singles competition
1. #10 Aleks Kovacevic (UI) def. Jannik Opitz (WMU) 6-2, 7-5
2. #46 Alex Brown (UI) def. Kennosuke Nouchi (WMU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3
3. Zeke Clark (UI) vs. Lenhard Haupt (WMU) 6-2, 5-3, unfinished
4. Siphosothando Montsi (UI) vs. Matej Svjetlicic (WMU) 6-7 (3-7), 3-2, unfinished
5. Noe Khlif (UI) def. Peter Kuszynski (WMU) 6-2, 6-1
6. Vuk Budic (UI) vs. Nick Schnobel (WMU) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Jannik Opitz/Kennosuke Nouchi (WMU) def. #47 Aleks Kovacevic/Alex Brown (UI) 6-3
2. Vuk Budic/Gui Gomes (UI) def. Peter Kuszynski/Jack Randall (WMU) 6-0
3. Keenan Mayo/Fletcher Scott (UI) def. Nick Schnobel/Lenhard Haupt (WMU) 6-4
