Feb. 15, 2013

CHICAGO - The UIC men's tennis team (2-6) prepares for a pair of matches this weekend on the road against Illinois State and No. 33 Northwestern. The Flames take on the Redbirds on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (CT) in Bloomington, Ill., at Evergreen Racquet Club, before facing the Wildcats on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (CT) in Evanston, Ill., at Combe Tennis Center.

UIC's last match came on Saturday, Feb. 9, against Bradley at the Hinsdale Racquet Club. The Flames fell to the Braves, 4-3, after going down in doubles and taking three singles matches.

Alexander Raa, Christopher Cole and Maurizio Feoli took wins for UIC, with Raa coming away at No. 1, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, Cole capturing No. 4, 6-4, 3-6, 10-7, and Feoli claiming No. 5, 7-5, 6-2.

Illinois State holds the edge over the Flames in past meetings, with the Redbirds taking matches during the 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. ISU is 3-3 this season, splitting its most recent matches with a win against Cleveland State and loss to Western Michigan, and scheduled to face Butler following its match with UIC.

No. 33 Northwestern leads the Flames, 15-0, in the all-time series, including last season's 7-0 win. The Wildcats are 9-3 this season, with their most recent 7-0 win coming against Valparaiso, and are set to take on Middle Tennessee State prior to their match versus UIC. With the team holding a ranking at No. 33, Spencer Wolf is also ranked in singles at No. 114.