Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The UIC men's tennis team got its first two wins of the season as it cruised to a pair of 6-1 wins over Chicago State and Eastern Illinois on Saturday.  In both matches, the Flames won the first six points of the match and only conceded a point in the final singles match.

Doubles Results vs. CSU

• At H-F Racquet Club, Chicago State came through in a must-win situation after the undermanned Cougars could not field a third doubles team and forfeited the set.  At #1, Niko Wasilewicz and Marcelo Dib had their two match winning streak snapped, 6-4.
• The Flames won the doubles point when Johan Hedstrom and William Wale finished out a 6-3 win.
• "Johan and William controlled the match with consistent service placement," head coach Hans Neufeld said of his #2 team.

Singles Results vs. CSU

• Marco Nanni started things off as the first to finish, taking a one-and-love win on the #5 court.
• Wasilewicz was a 7-5, 6-3 winner at #1.  "Niko kept the pressure on in singles," Neufeld said.  "His serve was dominant.  It was good to see him get the clinching victory at #1" after Chicago State did not have a #6 player.
• The team win was clinched when Dib, playing in the #3 flight, gutted out a 7-5, 6-4 win.
• Hedstrom fell behind by a set, but rallied to win 2-6, 6-4, 10-7 at #2.
• Kailash Panchapakesan was the lone Flame not to win his singles match.  He fell 6-4, 6-3 on the #4 court.

Doubles Results vs. EIU

• Later in the day, the action shifted to Hinsdale Racquet Club.  The Flames fell behind quickly after Panchapakesan and Nanni went down 6-2 at #3.
• Dib and Wasilewicz got back to their winning ways with a 6-2 decision at #1 that evened the doubles competition.
• In the decisive #2 set, Hedstrom and Wale went the distance and came through with a 7-5 win.
• "Doubles went down to Johan and William grinding out a tiebreaker," Neufeld noted.  "Getting the doubles point was key for us as our doubles set the tone for singles." 

Singles Results vs. EIU

• UIC won the first three singles matches in straight sets.  Hedstrom got things started at #2 with a 6-1, 6-0 win.
• Panchapakesan got in the win column with a 6-1, 6-4 decision.
• The clinching fourth point was obtained when Wale finished off a 6-3, 6-3 match.
• Nanni lost the first set but was dominant from there on.  He won 3-6, 6-1, 6-0.
• Dib became the fourth Flame to win two matches when he came through in another close contest.  This time he went to a tiebreaker and won, 6-3, 3-6, 10-6.
• Wasilewicz surrendered a point in the final match of the day, 6-2, 1-6, 7-5.
• "Today was just a great overall team effort.  Everyone down the lineup played well in singles.  I am very proud of the way the team competed," Neufeld concluded.

Up Next

• The Flames will return to action next weekend with matches against two city rivals.
• UIC will travel to Lincoln Park to take on DePaul Friday night, and in a rescheduled match, will play Northwestern in Evanston on Sunday.