The UIC men's tennis team ventured to Elmhurst, Ill. for a doubleheader against Elmhurst College Saturday evening. The Flames didn't drop a single set in sweeping the twinbill by identical 7-0 scores. The two wins brought UIC to the .500 mark on the season, evening their record at 3-3.
In the first match, UIC started hot in the doubles matchups and continued their strong play in the singles competition.
Carl Hedstrom and
Marcelo Dib took a 6-0 conquest at #1;
Niko Wasilewicz and
Christian San Andres grabbed a 6-2 victory at #2; and
Johan Hedstrom made his season debut, teaming up with
William Wale at #3 and emerging with a 6-1 win.
UIC won all six singles matches in straight sets, and only lost eight games in the 12 sets. Wale blanked Kevin Osburn 6-0, 6-0 at #5, winning his first singles match of the season in dominant fashion. Dib at #3 and
Kailash Panchapakesan at #6 were each nearly as efficient, dropping just one game apiece in 6-1, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-1 matches respectively.
Carl Hedstrom got his first win of the season at #1 with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Kyle Endicott. Wasilewicz took down Brandon Fulmer, 6-2, 6-0 at #2, and San Andres finished things out with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at #4.
In the second match of the evening, head coach
Hans Neufeld shook up the lineup, but achieved the same results. Wasilewicz and San Andres slid up to #1 doubles for the first time and took a 6-1 decision.
Johan Hedstrom and Wale were victorious, 6-3 at #2, while Panchapakesan and Alvaro de la Fuente teamed up for a 6-0 win at #3.
On the singles side, Wale breezed through the competition at #6 for his second love and love victory of the evening. San Andres did likewise at #3. De la Fuente got the singles nod at #5 and dropped but a single game in a 6-1, 6-0 triumph. Dib at #4 and
Carl Hedstrom at #2 had little trouble in their straight set wins. Wasilewicz got his first career matchup at #1, and earned a hard fought, 6-2, 7-6 win.
Hedstrom and Wasilewicz gave the Flames their first wins of the season in the #1 singles slot. UIC has swept the doubles sets in three straight matches. They will get nearly three weeks off before their next competition, the Horizon League opener at Valparaiso Feb. 24.
