Box Score UIC ran in to a buzzsaw in East Lansing Saturday morning, falling in the season opener to Michigan State, 7-0.  Niko Wasilewicz turned in the strongest showing among the Flames, but the team was unable to break through against their Big Ten foes.

"We got a solid effort from Niko today in both singles and doubles at the #1 position," head coach Hans Neufeld said.  "Niko competed well and kept the pressure on his opponents in both singles and doubles."

Doubles

• Wasilewicz, along with Marcelo Dib, took MSU's #1 doubles team to the brink, eventually falling 7-5. 
• By the time their tightly contested set was complete, Johan Hedstrom and Marco Nanni at #2, and William Wale and Alvaro de la Fuente at #3, had already succumbed.
• Hedstrom and Nanni moved up to the #2 flight, after playing in the fall at the River Forest Invitational in the #3 slot.  "Johan and Marco came out strong on the #2 doubles court, going up 3-0, but lost three no-ad points to even it up," head coach Hans Neufeld said.

Singles

• In five of the six singles matches, Michigan State turned in convincing wins in the first set to put the Flames in a difficult position.
• Nanni and de la Fuente rebounded to make their respective second sets competitive on the #4 and #5 courts.
• Wasilewicz forced an extra point in the first set on the #1 singles court, but ultimately fell in a hard fought match, 7-5, 6-3.
• Dib, who like Wasilewicz moved up one flight from his usual position last season, struggled on the #2 court in a 6-1, 6-2 match.
• Hedstrom, at #3, and Piotr Lada, at #6, also fell to their Spartan counterparts as Michigan State went on to win every singles match in straight sets.

Up Next

• The Flames will have a few weeks off before returning to action.
• The season-opening road swing continues at Marquette on February 4.
• The Golden Eagles were ranked #8 in last season's final ITA Midwest regional rankings.