UIC's men's tennis team will close out the regular season this weekend with home matches against Youngstown State Saturday, and Cleveland State on Sunday. Both matches are scheduled for 2:00 pm. The Youngstown State match will take place at Homewood-Flossmore Racquet Club, while the Cleveland State showdown is currently set for Flames Outdoor Tennis Courts. With the Horizon League standings tightly packed, the weekend's results will factor heavily in seeding for the conference tournament.
Service
- Marco Nanni holds the Flames' best singles record in overall play (8-9) and within the Horizon League (5-1). He has won five straight matches.
- Marcelo Dib is right behind Nanni with a 4-2 conference record, and is riding a four match winning streak.
- Kailash Panchapakesan has three Horizon League wins.
Return
- Johan Hedstrom and William Wale are tied for the team lead with five overall doubles wins. They have two wins in conference play.
- The Flames have dropped the doubles point in their last two matches. They had been on a two match doubles streak before that.
Winner
- UIC and Youngstown State are tied for fourth place in the Horizon League standings. The top six teams will compete in the postseason tournament, and the top two will get byes to the semifinals.
- The Flames have clinched a spot in the tournament, and could finish anywhere from first to sixth.
- In terms of controlling their own destiny, two wins over the weekend would guarantee UIC a share of second place.
Scouting the Opposition
- Youngstown State is on a two match winning streak with wins over Northern Kentucky and Wright State.
- Vasilas Vardakis is the reigning Horizon League Singles Player of the Week, while he and Joao Garretto are the Doubles Team of the Week.
- Yossi Dohan has a team high four conference singles wins. Garretto and Vardakis are 3-0 at #1 doubles in league play.
- Like the Penguins, Cleveland State defeated Wright State and Northern Kentucky last weekend. The Vikings are tied for first place in the Horizon League with a 4-1 record.
- Luke Phillips and Benjamin Slade each sport a perfect 5-0 singles record in league play.
- Nico Mostardi, a four-time Singles Player of the Week, has a 12-3 record at #1 singles.
